The to and fro between lawyers in the Apple antitrust case brought by the U.S. Department of Justice and 16 state attorneys continued this week, with Apple lawyers denying it operated a monopoly.

Company lawyers said on Thursday in federal court in Newark, New Jersey, that “Apple faces robust competition from other smartphone manufacturers around the world, including Google and Samsung”, Bloomberg reported.

It said the filing stated: “It is implausible to claim, as the government does, that Apple has deterred any customers from switching to Google or Samsung because of its policies with respect to ‘super apps,’ cloud gaming, smartwatches, or anything else.

“The implausibility of the government’s claim that Apple’s conduct has eroded smartphone competition is underscored by the complaint’s implicit recognition that the smartphone market exhibits ongoing innovation and vigorous competition.” 

The U.S. National Association of Attorneys General said the complaint, filed in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, “alleges that Apple illegally maintains a monopoly over smartphones by selectively imposing contractual restrictions on and withholding critical access points from developers. Apple undermines apps, products, and services that would otherwise make users less reliant on the iPhone, promote interoperability, and lower costs for consumers and developers”.

Apple Antitrust Case document.

In a May court filing government lawyers stated that Apple’s argument “overlooks well-pleaded facts and misstates the law. Apple’s conduct is unlawful under straightforward antitrust principles, which would require denial of its motion. Apple maintains its monopoly power by imposing a web of contractual restrictions, rules, and restraints on developers, users, and other ecosystem participants. 

“Apple suppresses competitive threats to its smartphone monopolies, including middleware and other technologies, that would make it easier for consumers to switch to or choose in the first instance non-Apple smartphones. 

“For example, Apple uses control over app distribution and creation to block or degrade ‘super apps’ and ‘cloud streaming apps’, middleware that could reduce consumer reliance on the iPhone. 

“Apple also uses its control over private APis to restrict the functionality of apps and wearables that would enhance smartphone competition. Apple’s course of conduct harms not just the competitive process but also smartphone users who pay higher prices, get reduced innovation, quality, and privacy, and suffer higher switching costs; developers who face diminished ability and lessened incentives to innovate; and even Apple’s own short-term profits.”

Apple is having none of this. It says the lawsuit accusations bear “no relation to reality” and the case should be thrown out.