Apple Inc was sued on Thursday by the creator of a once popular app store, who accused the iPhone maker of illegally monopolizing software distribution on its own operating system. Cydia, which was created in 2008, said Apple has “illegally crushed all competition” for its App Store, depriving consumers of the ability to choose where to get iOS apps and developers to choose which resellers to use. The lawsuit filed in federal court in Oakland, California, is the latest case in which Apple is accused of exploiting market dominance at the expense of rivals like Cydia, which it said is on the brink of shutdown and possible bankruptcy. Apple, based in Cupertino, California,
It also said that, for security reasons, it discourages consumers from trying to unlock their iPhones, in a process called “jailbreak,” to install unauthorized software. The main rival to iOS is Google’s Android operating system, which is used in smartphones from rivals like Samsung Electronics Co. Cydia, also known as SaurikIT, was created by software engineer Jay Freeman and seeks compensation for damages that do not was specified.
