HAMILTON, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rave Inc. (\u201cRave\u201d or the \u201cCompany\u201d), the developer and operator of the Rave app, a cross-platform co-viewing \u201csuper app\u201d with more than 225 million downloads, today announced that it has filed antitrust lawsuits against Apple in five countries: the United States, Canada, Brazil, the Netherlands and Russia. The lawsuits challenge Apple\u2019s unilateral and anticompetitive decision to remove Rave from its App Store, thereby distorting competition, reducing consumer choice in co-viewing functionalities and increasing the costs to users of switching between iPhone and competing smartphone devices.<\/p> \nRave operates a social entertainment app that allows users in different locations to watch their favorite videos, movies, and TV shows together in real time across multiple operating systems and devices, including iOS, Android, Windows and macOS, and communicate through chat and voice. Rave alleges that this cross-platform experience threatened Apple\u2019s closed iOS ecosystem, which Apple maintains by limiting the ways that iPhone users can interact with non-Apple devices or services. Rave further alleges that Apple removed Rave from the App Store to monopolize the market for smartphone co-viewing by restricting iPhone users to its own, iPhone-exclusive co-viewing service, SharePlay, eliminating a product that competed with Apple and gave users freedom of choice across devices and platforms and replacing it with one that steers users to Apple\u2019s devices and services.<\/p> \n\u201cApple\u2019s pretextual removal of Rave from the App Store has harmed consumers significantly by limiting choice and effectively preventing Apple customers from co-viewing and connecting with non-Apple customers,\u201d said Michael Pazaratz, Chief Executive Officer of Rave. \u201cApple\u2019s actions denied users access to a product they enjoy, disrupted the communities built on Rave and impaired Rave\u2019s ability to compete fairly based on the strength of its product.\u201d<\/p> \nMr. Pazaratz continued: \u201cThis case is not simply about Rave \u2013 it should also send chills down the spine of all app developers. As long as Apple\u2019s \u2018gatekeeper\u2019 power remains unchecked, no developer operating within Apple's ecosystem can ever be secure. When a dominant platform removes competing products without a fair process or accountability, all developers are disincentivized to invest in the sort of innovation that builds businesses, creates jobs and benefits consumers. We are taking the necessary actions to restore access for our users, and also to help ensure that digital app marketplaces remain fair, open, competitive and accountable to the consumers and developers who depend on them.\u201d<\/p> \nOver months of inquiries from Rave, Apple cycled through multiple justifications \u2014 including unspecified allegations of fraud and vague concerns about content moderation \u2014 without ever identifying any specific conduct by Rave that violated any rule Apple was citing. Rave has developed industry-leading content moderation and age verification technologies, which it licenses to other platforms at a-eye.com<\/a>. Meanwhile, the Attorneys General of West Virginia<\/a> and Kansas<\/a> are currently pursuing Apple for failures to detect and report illegal content on its own services.<\/p> \nApple\u2019s harm to Rave extends beyond the App Store. Despite Apple never expressing any concerns about Rave's Mac app, Apple began blocking Rave on macOS, falsely and maliciously telling users \u201cMalware Blocked and Moved to Trash. 'Rave.app' was not opened because it contains malware.\u201d<\/p> \nRave\u2019s lawsuits seek to restore iOS and macOS access for Rave users, and recover damages related to its arbitrary and anticompetitive removal from the App Store and false malware designation of Rave's Mac application. Additional information, including legal filings and information about Rave\u2019s claims, is available at SaveRave.com<\/a>.<\/p> \nRave Inc. is represented by Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider LLP and Saiber LLC in the United States, DMG Advocates LLP in Canada, VMCA Advogados in Brazil, Hausfeld Advocaten in the Netherlands, and EPAM Law Offices in Russia.<\/p> \nAbout Rave Inc.\n![](\"https:\/\/mms.businesswire.com\/media\/20260506587441\/en\/2798093\/22\/Rave_black_logo.jpg\"){kind=logo}
<\/a>![](\"https:\/\/mms.businesswire.com\/media\/20260506587441\/en\/2798093\/21\/Rave_black_logo.jpg\"){kind=logo}
<\/a>