Some people are saying the Apple plan to introduce the iPhone to Australia could be illegal. How so? It seems that certain aspects of the deal violate international trade laws.
What part of the deal violates international trade laws? It seems their evil alliance exclusive deal with AT&T is the sticking point with legal eagles. It seems other countries get concerned when one company controls access to a product such as the iPhone.
Apple ran into similar snags in France and Germany. Those countries required Apple to allow more than one carrier to service the iPhones before they could be sold in their countries. It’s a shame America didn’t take a page from their book when the Apple – AT&T (then Cingular) alliance came out there. The reason behind the change in France and Germany was to protect things like consumer choice and promote such wanton ideas as competition in business.
Australian lawmakers have focused their sights on the iPhone deal:
“This law will greatly simplify the task of seeking redress for such behaviour through the courts and could prove a deterrent for exclusive release of the iPhone with one carrier,” said Clapperton. “If Apple [enters] into an exclusive agreement with any particular carrier then it would be a matter for the ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) as to whether that agreement was anticompetitive and contravened the trade practices act.”
The hope for Apple to unlock the iPhone everywhere continues to be expressed, yet Apple continues to ignore repeated requests from lawmakers and consumers to allow other carriers to work with their phone. The best case scenario so far has surfaced in France and Germany by having the phone opened to more than one carrier, though users are still restricted to a choice of two or three.
