Announcement of cross-border warranty placates EU commission

EU drops Apple anti competition probes

The European Competition Commissioner announced that it is suspending two investigations into Apple following the firm’s changes in iPhone development policies.

One of the investigations related to Apple’s decision to limit development of applications for the iPhone to Apple’s own programming tools while the other investigation was concerned with Apple’s policy of only allowing warranty repairs in the country where a product was purchased.

The Commission had concerns that this rule could amount to territorial restrictions aimed at dissuading European consumers from buying iPhones outside their country of residence and so leading to a partitioning of the market.

"Apple’s response to our preliminary investigations shows that the Commission can use the competition rules to achieve swift results on the market with clear benefits for consumers, without the need to open formal proceedings," said European Competition Commissioner Joaquín Almunia.

The EU had opened the investigations earlier this year and recent policy changes at Apple regarding development tools and other restrictions have been viewed as a response to multiple investigations opened by European and American anti competition authorities.

Check Also

Acer expands UK horizons with Bridgehead alliance

Bridgehead International is collaborating with Acer, which marks Acer’s commitment to supplying a diverse range …