Apple to ask US judge to dismiss iPhone monopoly lawsuit

Apple will ask a federal judge to dismiss U.S. Department of Justice's case accusing iPhone maker of unlawfully dominating smartphone market, in latest Big Tech antitrust showdown.

U.S. District Judge Julien Neals in Newark, New Jersey, is scheduled to hear arguments from lawyers for Apple, and from prosecutors who say company locks users in and keeps competition out by limiting interoperability between iPhone and third-party apps and devices.

Apple has moved to dismiss case, saying its limitations on developers' access to its technology were reasonable, and that forcing it to share technology with competitors would chill innovation.

Antitrust cases against Big Tech firms are a bipartisan trend. case against Apple began during first presidential term of Donald Trump and was filed during ministration of President Joe Biden.

In or cases, Alphabet's Google was found to have an illegal monopoly in online search, Meta Platforms faces trial on claims that it squelched competition by acquiring upstart rivals, and Amazon.com is fighting a case over its policies toward sellers and suppliers.

But some claims like ones at heart of Apple case have ultimately failed.

A judge dismissed Federal Tre Commission's claim against Meta over social media platform's restrictions on third-party app developers.

In Google search case, judge rejected a claim that Google should have done more to accommodate vertisers on Microsoft's search engine, Bing.

Apple cited ruling in its own case, saying it shows that withholding access to technology should not be considered anticompetitive.

Apple lawsuit filed in March by DOJ and a coalition of states takes aim at restrictions and fees on app developers, and technical roblocks to third-party devices and services - such as smart watches, digital wallets and messaging services - that would compete with its own.

If judge finds claims plausible, case will be allowed to move forward.