Apple Fined Record $1.23 Billion in France for Price-Fixing Scheme - Slashdot

France's competition agency has announced a $1.23 billion fine against Apple, claiming the tech giant conspired with distributors of gadgets such as the iPad to fix prices and limit competition. From a report: The decision came from France's L'Autorite de la concurrence and is its largest fine ever. The agency said Apple tightly restricted supplies and effectively required distributors such as Tech Data and Ingram Micro to charge the same prices for devices that could also be purchased through its own online and physical retail stores. "It is the heaviest sanction pronounced against an economic player, in this case Apple, whose extraordinary size has been duly taken into account," said agency director Isabelle de Silva in a statement. The agency also respectively levied fines of $84.7 million and $69 million against Tech Data and Ingram Micro for their roles in agreeing to terms that hurt other smaller distributors.