FTC and DOJ to Harass Apple

The Federal Trade Commission will investigate whether Apple Inc.'s business practices harm competition in the market for software used on mobile devices, people familiar with the situation said, reports WSJ.

Aside from the fact that the only true monopolist is the government and that companies in a private property society should be allowed to do whatever the hell they want with their property, the FTC investigation fails even if one grants that the FTC should have jurisdiction. Listen to  Gary Shapiro, president of the Consumer Electronics Association, as quoted by WSJ:

The iPhone was just introduced three years ago, and all of a sudden (Apple is) being accused of being a monopolist? To me, it's absurd. They don't even have a dominant position in smart phones—that's Blackberry.

It's all about government technocrats wielding power for the benefit of Apple competitors who can't keep up with the amazing innovations coming out of Apple.

But it is unlikely to stop with the FTC. This may not be the only antitrust investigation Apple faces, says WSJ. Justice Department lawyers recently contacted companies about Apple's practices in the music business. The Justice Department could forge ahead with that inquiry independent of the FTC's investigation, said people familiar with the matter.