Apple Seeks Samsung South Korea’s Internal Records as App Store Practices Face DOJ Antitrust Scrutiny: Report

In South Korea, Apple has reportedly approached a US court to secure internal documents from Samsung Electronics in the company’s own country. The move is said to be related to the US Department of Justice (DOJ) ongoing antitrust lawsuit against. The tech giant, which is based in Cupertino, wants to access market data and internal business records that it maintains are essential for its defense against claims of anti-competitive behaviour about the App Store and the iPhone ecosystem.

Apple Seeks Samsung Data in Antitrust Case

According to the lawsuit filed in March 2024 by the DOJ, which claims that Apple is using App Store rules, developer restrictions and control over key iPhone features to kill competition in the smartphone and services markets (via MacRumors) it was also sued for “addicted” by its lawsuit against Apple. When Apple tried to get the case dismissed, the litigation rolled into discovery. This, especially in particular, is a time when companies exchange documents and collect evidence.

Apple filed a filing of April 7 asking for formally Letter of Request under the Hague Evidence Convention. The iPhone maker is targeting Samsung Electronics internal records by using the legal mechanism, which allows for the collection of evidence from outside parties. It is alleged that these include market research, financial data and analyses related to smartphones, smartwatches or app store operations.

In the past, the iPhone maker had subpoenaed Samsung’s US arm, Samsung Electronics America, but the subsidiary declined to provide documents. The requested materials are held solely by its South Korean parent, it said at the time. Apple reported that this objection was raised several times in its answers to this question.

The company claimed that internal Samsung documents could help to understand how competitive the smartphone market is, such as user switching behaviour between platforms and Apple’s policies. This filing, according to reports, refers specifically to tools such as Samsung’s Smart Switch.

This enables users to transfer data from an iPhone to a Galaxy device, according to the tech giant, which provides useful information about consumer behavior. A lawsuit filed by the iPhone maker also seeks documents related to Samsung’s Galaxy Store, messaging services and digital wallet offerings including details on transaction charges.

In its filing, Apple claimed that the evidence sought by the requested evidence is critical to the case. The request is also alleged to be narrowly tailored and there are no other ways to obtain the information, it said. The tech giant said that suing the request would “support the interests of the US without undermining South Korea’s legal framework.”