Overview
- Apple, defending against the DOJ’s antitrust suit, asked a U.S. court to send a Hague Evidence Convention request to Samsung Electronics in South Korea.
- The push follows Samsung Electronics America refusing to turn over documents it says only the Korean parent controls, an objection Apple says it received 65 times.
- Apple is targeting market research, sales and financial data, analyses of users switching phones via Samsung’s Smart Switch tool, and records on the Galaxy Store and Samsung Pay.
- Under the treaty, South Korean authorities decide whether to execute any U.S. request, so production of the records is uncertain and could face local legal objections.
- The DOJ’s March 2024 case centers on claims that Apple’s App Store rules and iPhone controls stifle rivals, and any Samsung data on switching and app-store terms could shape how the court judges real-world competition.