Apple Starts Legal Action against Russian Regulator in App Store Dispute: Report

Apple has filed a lawsuit against Russia's anti-monopoly regulator over alternative payment alternatives on its App Store platform, according to court documents obtained by the RIA news agency on Sunday. In late October, Russia filed an antitrust complaint against Apple, alleging that it failed to enable software developers to inform users about other payment choices while using its App Store.

If proven guilty, Apple might face a fine depending on its income in Russia, according to the report. In "economic conflicts over administrative legal relations," the Moscow Arbitration Court designated Apple as a claimant and Russia's Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) as a respondent. On December 2, Apple sought that further records be submitted to the case, according to RIA. Apple did not immediately reply to a Reuters request for comment.

According to Forbes Russia, the proceedings stem from a warning FAS gave on August 30 on Apple's apparent failure to advise customers that they might pay for purchases outside the App Store. A request for comment from the FAS was not immediately returned. In September, a federal court in the United States announced a judgement compelling Apple to enable developers to redirect their customers to alternative payment systems, causing backlash against the company's App Store guidelines.