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| A German watchdog begins a new investigation of Amazon and Apple |
According to Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, German antitrust authorities have begun investigations with Amazon and Apple into possible anti-competitive behavior.
Amazon prohibits some third-party retailers on its e-commerce platform from offering certain branded products, and the Federal Cartel Office is investigating compliance with German laws.
The newspaper quoted the chief of staff of the organization, Andreas Mundt, as saying: "With some brands, all merchants are excluded except for Amazon itself and the manufacturer of this brand."
Amazon said it is cooperating with German authorities, adding that it is constantly investing in protecting its stores from illegal products.
The deal can provide protection against piracy. Mond said the ban on external distributors "must respect the principle of proportionality and should not lead to the elimination of competition".
The most famous example is the collaboration between Amazon and Apple in producing cell phones that can only be made available through Apple and Amazon dealerships on the platform.
As a result of the investigation conducted by the German Competition Authority last August into the influence of Amazon in determining the prices of its dealers in the market and its impact on the commercial market, new research has been conducted into the treatment of external merchants by Amazon.
It should be noted that Germany is the second largest e-commerce market after the United States. In Germany, from March 2020 to May 2020, overseas distributors accounted for 65% of sales.
Last year, the company reached an agreement with German authorities to reform the terms of service for third-party sellers, which prompted the office to suspend the investigation for seven months.
In the case of Amazon and Germany, the company in Germany faces strikes during Golden Day, which is usually one of the busiest days of the year for the retail giants. Electronically.