Apple faces another antitrust lawsuit over App Store fees, this time brought by a group of French iOS app developers who are suing, and this point is certainly startling, the tech giant in their home state of California. The plaintiffs accuse Apple of anti-competitive practices by allowing one app store on iOS, which gives it a monopoly on the distribution of apps for the operating system and the direct ability to force developers to pay high fees. – in-app purchases.

The lawsuit argues that those commissions, plus a $99 annual fee to be part of Apple’s developer program (something that isn’t necessary to download the Apple SDK but is necessary to publish apps to the store), reduce developer income and thus stifle innovation. That wouldn’t have happened if Apple had allowed third-party stores and payment systems, according to the suit. However, in this regard, we must bear in mind that in the agreements concluded by Apple in the Netherlands and South Korea, in-app payments through third-party platforms are also subject to commissions by Apple.

Complaining iOS developers include Company du Figarowhich develops the news application Figaro, L’Equipe 24/24which develops the sports news and streaming app L’Équipe, a GESTUREa French association of content and online service publishers based in France.

Group aHe is represented by the American law firm Hagens Bermanwhich last year reached a $100 million settlement with Apple over App Store policies and recently filed a $1 billion lawsuit also against Cupertino over antitrust issues with Apple Pay.

Hagens Berman Managing Partner Steve Berman has a long history of winning against tech giants, which secured a $560 million settlement against Apple related to the price of e-books and a $90 million settlement on behalf of Android developers. He is working with Paris-based antitrust attorney Fayrouze Masmi-Dazi on the proposed class action.

«We just closed a deal with Apple and we’re ready to goBerman said in a statement. «Our company is happy to see iOS developers from other countries seek the same fairness that we have achieved for US developers. We believe they, too, have been unfairly subjected to Apple’s stifling App Store policies, and we intend to hold Apple accountable..»