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Japan: Apple may be probed for antitrust violations

By  |  September 25, 2016

Sources told Reuters that Japanese regulators are considering taking action against Apple Inc over possible antitrust violations that may have helped it dominate the nation’s smartphone sales, a move that could hit the company’s profit margins in one of its most profitable markets.

In a report published last month, Japan’s Fair Trade Commission (FTC) said that NTT Docomo, KDDI Corp and Softbank Group were refusing to sell older surplus iPhone models to third party retailers and thereby hobbling their smaller competitors.

Under those deals, surplus stock of older iPhones is kept out of the market and sent to overseas markets, such as Hong Kong.

Apple phones account for almost 50% of smartphones sold in Japan, its largest share in a major market.

Full Content: Reuters

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