Oklahoma Joins Department of Justice In Lawsuit Against Apple

Oklahoma is joining the U.S. Department of Justice in a lawsuit against Apple.

The lawsuit says the company has a monopoly when it comes to smartphones.

The U.S. Department of Justice says Apple is breaking antitrust laws and says this case is about freeing up the smartphone market from Apple.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland says for the past two decades, Apple has become one of the most valuable companies in the world.

"Today, its net income exceeds the individual gross domestic product of more than 100 countries, that is in large part due to the success of the iPhone," he said.

Garland says iPhone sales make up most of Apple's annual revenue, and Apple's share of the entire U.S. smartphone market is greater than 65 percent.

He says because of this, Apple has a monopoly in the market.

The lawsuit says Apple is breaking antitrust laws and people should not have to pay higher prices for phones just because Apple has cornered the market.

He says it doesn't just hurt people who buy phones, but it also hurts developers. 

"We allege that Apple has consolidated its monopoly power not by making its own products better, but by making other products worse," he said.

Apple says the lawsuit is wrong, based on the facts and the law. 

It says it threatens the company's very principles in a fiercely competitive market.

Oklahoma joined 15 other states as well as Washington, D.C.