MADRID (Reuters) – Spain’s high court has blocked payment of a 194 million euro ($209 million) fine imposed by local antitrust watchdogs on Amazon and Apple in July, pending an appeal by the tech giants. The deal is on hold, an Amazon spokesperson said Thursday.
The CNMC, a known watchdog, has fined Amazon and Apple for conspiring to prevent non-Amazon sellers from selling Apple products on Amazon’s website in Spain.
Apple was fined 143.6 million euros and Amazon 50.5 million euros, and both companies said at the time that they intended to appeal.
An Amazon spokesperson said the court’s decision to suspend payments is part of the appeals process.
In July, Amazon announced that as a result of its partnership with Apple, the number of discounts on Apple devices on its website has increased.
The suspension of fines does not assume the court will rule for or against the tech giants.
An Apple spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
According to CNMC, the agreement signed by the two companies in October 2018 that gives Amazon the status of an Apple Authorized Dealer on its Spanish website includes more than 90% of existing retailers selling Apple products on Amazon’s marketplace. The company said it contained anti-competition clauses that prevented it from being sold.
Following these agreements, Amazon will also reduce the ability of retailers in the European Union based outside Spain to access Spanish customers, and will reduce the ability of Apple’s competitors to access the web when users search for Apple products. The regulator said it has restricted the ads that can be placed on the site.
Similar lawsuits were filed against both companies in Italy, but were ultimately dropped.
(1 dollar = 0.9275 euro)
(Reporting by Inti Landauro; Editing by Sonali Paul)