Russian court rejects Apple appeal against abuse of dominant market position

A Russian court rejected Apple’s (AAPL.O) appeal against the alleged abuse of its dominant market position in terms of in-app payments, for which it was fined 1.2 billion roubles ($12.1 million) in January, the RIA news agency reported on Tuesday.

Apple did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

Russia’s federal anti-monopoly service (FAS) fined Apple in January over what it said was the US company’s abuse of its dominant market position.

In a statement, the regulator said it had previously found that Apple forced Russian developers to use Apple’s payment services with the iOS App Store, in violation of Russia’s competition rules.

The FAS’s decision entered legal force in May after it was approved by a Moscow court, RIA reported. Apple was appealing both the decision and the fine.

The rouble has depreciated sharply since January. In dollar terms, the fine has decreased by more than $5 million since then.

($1 = 99.1990 roubles)