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Canada Investigating Apple Over Accusations of Anti-Competitive Carrier Contracts [Updated]

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Canada's Competition Bureau confirmed on Thursday that it is investigating Apple's contracts with wireless carriers to determine whether they violate the country's anti-trust laws, reports CNET. The investigation is in the early stages, with the Bureau filing a court order to compel Apple to supply documents that will assist with its investigation.

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Apple is being accused of including clauses in its contracts with wireless carriers that would hinder competition. No official charges have been filed against Apple, and the Bureau has yet to find evidence supporting the initial anti-competitive allegations raised by unnamed sources.
"There is no conclusion of wrongdoing by Apple Canada Inc. at this time, and no application has been filed with the Competition Tribunal or any other court to seek remedies for any alleged anticompetitive conduct," [Competition Bureau Gregg] Scott said, without identifying how the contract allegations came to the bureau's attention. "Should evidence indicate that the Competition Act has been contravened, the Commissioner will take appropriate action."
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If the Competition Bureau finds evidence that Apple violated Canada's Competition Act, the Cupertino company will be asked to change its practices or face sanctions by the Competition Tribunal. In the past several years, Apple has faced similar anti-trust allegations over its iPhone distribution terms from both the European Commission and France's DGCCR.

Update: On January 6, 2017, Canada's Competition Bureau said it "did not find evidence to suggest that the Apple terms resulted in a significant effect on competition," as reported by Reuters.

Article Link: Canada Investigating Apple Over Accusations of Anti-Competitive Carrier Contracts [Updated]
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2014/12/12/apple-canada-anti-trust/
Working in the Canadian wireless industry, I find this quite quite interesting because the CCB has two ways to make a case. They can either:

1. Argue for the exclusion of certain cellular carriers like Chatr, Solo and Koodo, (difficult because they're all owned by the big 3, and Wind/Mobility do not technically support iphone bandwidth) or
2. Argue for the fact that Apple Stores can only activate new devices on $80+ "max plans"

There would be an anti-trust case either way if they can find evidence of these actions in the contracts. Regardless, I hope this will bring to light some of the massive monopolization tactics in the Canadian wireless industry.
 
Instead of investigating Apple, they should be taking a closer look at the practices of the big 3. Maybe I do not know enough about how it is regulated, but the big three have a monopoly as far as I am concerned and use that to charge Canadians outrageous prices on cellular plans.
 
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firedept said:
Instead of investigating Apple, they should be taking a closer look at the practices of the big 3. Maybe I do not know enough about how it is regulated, but the big three have a monopoly as far as I am concerned and use that to charge Canadians outrageous prices on cellular plans.
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This.

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Zelmung said:
Working in the Canadian wireless industry, I find this quite quite interesting because the CCB has two ways to make a case. They can either:

1. Argue for the exclusion of certain cellular carriers like Chatr, Solo and Koodo, (difficult because they're all owned by the big 3, and Wind/Mobility do not technically support iphone bandwidth) or
2. Argue for the fact that Apple Stores can only activate new devices on $80+ "max plans"

There would be an anti-trust case either way if they can find evidence of these actions in the contracts. Regardless, I hope this will bring to light some of the massive monopolization tactics in the Canadian wireless industry.
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Doubt you work in the wireless industry or you would know that Apple is forced to charge $80 per plan by the big three. NOTHING to do with Apple.

The prices are being forced onto consumers whether they buy an android or an iPhone.
 
yaboyac29 said:
...

Doubt you work in the wireless industry or you would know that Apple is forced to charge $80 per plan by the big three. NOTHING to do with Apple.

The prices are being forced onto consumers whether they buy an android or an iPhone.
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I don't think that's what the above person saying...
 
man... every time MR comes out with a story about T-Mobile or Verizon or ATT slashing prices and offering unlimited this or that... i get jealous... :(
 
firedept said:
Instead of investigating Apple, they should be taking a closer look at the practices of the big 3. Maybe I do not know enough about how it is regulated, but the big three have a monopoly as far as I am concerned and use that to charge Canadians outrageous prices on cellular plans.
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One billion times this. :mad:
 
mvmanolov said:
man... every time MR comes out with a story about T-Mobile or Verizon or ATT slashing prices and offering unlimited this or that... i get jealous... :(
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I am so with you on your statement. I see those commercials from the US about doubling the data for free or 2 phones on a plan for the price we pay for just 1 phone, makes a grown man almost want to cry. But all of us here in Canada know that it is not Apple who is controlling the cost of our plans.

Does not matter what smartphone you get, whether it be a Samsung, Blackberry, Nexus, iPhone and so on.
 
firedept said:
I am so with you on your statement. I see those commercials from the US about doubling the data for free or 2 phones on a plan for the price we pay for just 1 phone, makes a grown man almost want to cry. But all of us here in Canada know that it is not Apple who is controlling the cost of our plans.

Does not matter what smartphone you get, whether it be a Samsung, Blackberry, Nexus, iPhone and so on.
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Wait, you think USA cellular plans are a good deal?!?
 
JAT said:
Wait, you think USA cellular plans are a good deal?!?
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I certainly think they're better than Canadian plans. I did not say US plans were the best in the world, as I do not have any idea who has the best plans. But just about anything is better than what we can get in Canada. I am sure there are worse as well.
 
NEWSFLASH: Every business wants to involve themselves in anti-competive practices. Who wants competition? The ones who skirt the laws and find the loopholes are usually the most successful companies. Duh... every company on earth wants a monopoly. Go ask AT&T, T-Mobile, or Sprint if they wish they had 100% market share... or Comcast, or TimeWarner, or... left to their own devices, these greedy companies would nickel and dime us to certain death.

We can only hope regulators stay one step ahead of their nonsense.
 
furi0usbee said:
NEWSFLASH: Every business wants to involve themselves in anti-competive practices. Who wants competition? ...
We can only hope regulators stay one step ahead of their nonsense.
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Newsflash: Apparently the Canadian Competition Bureau failed quite some time ago. ;)

Sure, a lot of companies strive for market domination. But cheating your way there is a different kind of thing than having the best product/service. Hopefully most companies don't want to get there by cheating.
 
SteveW928 said:
But cheating your way there is a different kind of thing than having the best product/service. Hopefully most companies don't want to get there by cheating.
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No, most companies don't want to get there by *getting caught* cheating. There is no moral high-ground when it comes to corporations. It's why Apple is in Ireland and it's why Wal-Mart drops health insurance for part-time workers. The bottom line is always the bottom line. No matter what the CEO says, the business is in business of turning a profit. Nothing wrong with that, just don't think that's not the reason.

It's like those Exxon commercials that are running. As if they feel good that you are able to use "their" energy. If it was up to them, oil would be $200 a barrel.
 
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