The Paris Court of Appeal partially overturns the Competition Authority’s decision concerning a Big Tech company’s distribution practices, and reduces the fine imposed by two thirds (Apple)

In a ruling dated 6 October 2022, the Paris Court of Appeal partially annulled a 2020 decision by the French competition authority (the Autorité) against Apple and two Apple products wholesalers, Tech Data and Ingram Micro. This ruling struck a blow to the Autorité, as the period for one infringement was halved whilst a second was completely scrapped, reducing the fine against Apple substantively from €1.1 billion to €372 million. Nevertheless, there is a silver lining for claimants as the finding of abuse of economic dependency, a French tort similar to abuse of dominance, was upheld and may prove an effective option for claimants in the context of digital markets. Context eBizscuss was an Apple Premium Reseller (APR), a chain of independent brick-and-mortar stores who specialised in