NEW DELHI, May 16: The Delhi High Court on Friday directed the Competition Commission of India (CCI) not to issue any final ruling against tech giant Apple till July 15 in the ongoing matter related to alleged abuse of dominance in its App Store policies.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia, however, permitted the anti-trust regulator to continue with the proceedings during the intervening period.
“Proceed with the matter, but do not pass a final order till July 15,” the bench orally observed while hearing Apple’s plea challenging certain amendments to the Competition Act, 2002.
The court noted that Apple would cooperate in the proceedings but clarified that the regulator should refrain from taking any conclusive action before the next date of hearing.
Appearing for the CCI, senior advocate Balbir Singh suggested that the regulator could pass an order and keep its implementation in abeyance until further directions from the court.
The bench, however, expressed reservations over the proposal, observing that such a course could complicate the legal process as any final order would immediately become open to appellate challenge.