Apple is seeking access to Samsung’s internal records in South Korea as part of its ongoing App Store litigation — a case that has expanded from its US origins into multiple international jurisdictions and that is now generating discovery requests that Samsung, which is both a competitor and a major Apple supplier, finds commercially sensitive.
The specific records Apple wants relate to Samsung’s app store business on its own devices — commission structures, developer agreements, and revenue data that Apple argues are relevant to establishing what market-standard app store terms look like. The argument: if Samsung’s Galaxy Store operates on similar terms to the App Store, it undermines the antitrust case that Apple is operating in a uniquely exploitative way.
Samsung’s Position
Samsung has objected to the discovery request on the grounds that the records requested are competitively sensitive and that Apple has not established sufficient relevance to justify access. Its Korean legal team has also raised jurisdictional objections.
The company’s situation is delicate: it manufactures screens, memory chips, and other components for Apple products, making Apple one of its most important customers. It also competes directly with Apple in the smartphone market. Being compelled to produce records in Apple’s litigation creates obvious tensions.
The Broader App Store Litigation
The App Store cases — which began with Epic Games in the US and have since expanded to include regulatory proceedings in the EU, UK, South Korea, and Japan — have forced Apple to make various modifications to its App Store policies while continuing to resist the most far-reaching changes that plaintiffs and regulators are seeking.
The Samsung records request is an indication that Apple is pursuing an aggressive litigation strategy that goes well beyond the original case’s boundaries.
