Report: Russian antitrust to decide on iPhone price setting by Mar

MOSCOW, Nov 23 (PRIME) -- Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service may make a decision by March on the case against Apple, suspected of coordinating prices of its smartphone iPhone 6s and 6s Plus on the local market, the authority’s Deputy Director Andrei Tsarikovsky said late Tuesday in a broadcast of the Rossiya 24 television channel.

“Since the case is quite complicated and engages many companies, much interest, I think, a decision may be seen closer to spring if a member of the cartel does not make a full confession,” Tsarikovsky said.

The antitrust service opened the case against Apple over signs of price coordination for the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus in August. The investigation proved that the bulk of local resellers had set the same prices for the devices from the start of sales and held them for some time.

The service also saw equal prices of other Apple’s smartphones, including the new flagship iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.

In case if one of the suspected companies acknowledges guilt, it will be able to avoid punishment. “A confession is the form that reveals many cartels in the world. If you want to get back to law compliance, you can come to us, provide us with information and you, the only member of the cartel, will be liberated from all changes, including administrative ones,” Tsarikovsky said.

After several delays, the service arranged hearings of the case against Apple on December 8.

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