KOSTROVO, Moscow Region, Sep 28 (PRIME) -- Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service can open one more case against Apple, in addition to the one on price coordination on the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, if it reveals similar actions with the new iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, the authority’s Director Igor Artemyev said late Tuesday.
“If we see the same picture with the iPhone 7, we will open another case, and it will be an aggravating circumstance when calculating a fine,” Artemyev told reporters.
Official sales of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus opened in the country on September 23 and saw a rush demand. The iPhone 7 costs from 56,990 rubles and the iPhone 7 Plus from 67,990 rubles.
“If the manufacturer in various ways tries to impose a minimum price on dealers and say ‘don’t sell cheaper than’, it violates the law on competition. Dealers could earn on turnover, sell more devices, but at a lower price, which would be good for consumers,” Artemyev said.
“If the producer stipulates straight in the contract not to sell at a certain rate of the U.S. dollar, but at a certain price, it kills competition, and such a business participant could be put into jail, for example, in the U.S. or be severely fined.”
The antitrust service opened the case against Apple in early August upon a receipt of a complaint from a citizen witnessing flat prices of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus by the country’s 16 retailers, including Euroset, Svyaznoy, M.Video, as well as chains of mobile operators MTS, MegaFon and VimpelCom.
Investigation showed the bulk of the sellers set the same prices of the popular handsets when the devices were first offered on the domestic market. Prices were also maintained for some time.
According to earlier reports, if found guilty, Apple could be fined from 1 million to 5 million rubles.
(63.6921 rubles – U.S. $1)
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