Federal Court orders Apple to hand over documents to Competition Bureau in iPhone investigation

Reuters is now reporting that the Federal Court of Canada will order Apple to hand over documents to the Competition Bureau to aid their investigation. The Competition Bureau has been investigating Apple for nine months and needs the documents to help assess whether or not Apple has used its power in the market to unfairly promote the sale of iPhones. Chief Justice Paul Crampton oversaw a hearing this morning that commenced in Ottawa shortly after 10am this morning and lasted about 45 minutes. The order will be signed later today.

Last week’s affidavit filed by the Competition Bureau’s Vincent Millette stated that the Bureau had found evidence that Apple had kept the prices of handsets higher through agreements with carriers that limited discounts on competing phones. In addition to this, the Competition Bureau said that Apple’s agreements with the likes of Rogers, Bell and TELUS could have had an impact on the price of cellphone service. As we reported last week, in the past, carriers have charged more for iPhone services than comparable service on another device. Though this is no longer the case, it’s not immediately clear if the Competition Bureau is taking issue with past practices or active agreements between Apple and Canadian carriers.

[source]Reuters[/source]