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The DOJ Isn't The Only One Keeping Apple In Check

Shouts out to Japan!

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(Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)

As Americans, it’s easy to limit our legal horizon to what’s going on in our country — hard enough to keep up with everything as is! But there are times when being aware of legal happenings elsewhere can help you understand the changes happening on the home turf. Even if we don’t have the same privacy standards as Europeans, the GDPR scramble of 2018 shows the importance of foreign laws forcing American companies to kick into gear.

Another foreign legal system that might be worth keeping an eye on? Japan. And this goes double if you’re working in Apple’s antitrust department. From Pymnts:

Japan is ramping up its antitrust regulations in a bid to crack down on monopolistic practices among major corporations, taking cues from recent actions by the European Commission. Following the EU’s mandate forcing Apple to allow third-party app stores on its iOS platform, Japan is now targeting the tech giant, signaling a broader crackdown on possible anticompetitive behavior.

Currently, Japanese law penalizes companies found guilty of monopolistic practices with fines up to 6% of their sales. However, policymakers are proposing a significant increase in penalties, with the new framework suggesting fines of 20% of sales for initial violations, and reaching up to 30% for repeated non-compliance.

20% to 30%  fines are a quick way to get companies in compliance with whatever you’re demanding. If Japan’s effort in fighting anticompetitive players is successful, we may see the advent of new players in the tech sphere, both abroad and home.

Earlier: DOJ Hits Apple With Antitrust Lawsuit

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Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord™ in the Facebook group Law School Memes for Edgy T14s.  He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boatbuilder who cannot swim, a published author on critical race theory, philosophy, and humor, and has a love for cycling that occasionally annoys his peers. You can reach him by email at [email protected] and by tweet at @WritesForRent.

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