Brazil’s antitrust agency CADE has begun investigating a complaint by e-commerce retailer MercadoLibre Inc against Apple for alleged abuse of a monopoly in the distribution of apps for its devices, reports Reuters.
The decision to open the investigation into alleged anti-competitive practices by Apple was taken last week based on the complaint filed in December by MercadoLibre, CADE said in a statement. MercadoLibre argued that Apple had imposed a series of restrictions on the distribution of digital goods and in-app purchases.
MercadoLibre is one of the most popular online market places in Latin America. The Argentine-based company is headquartered in Buenos Aires, incorporated in the U.S. It operates online marketplaces dedicated to e-commerce and online auctions, including mercadolibre.com.
CADE (The Administrative Council for Economic Defense) is an independent agency reporting to the Ministry of Justice, with its headquarters and legal establishment in the city of Brasília, Federal District, Brazil. The authority has jurisdiction over the national territory.
Article provided with permission from AppleWorld.Today