Legal

Michael Jackson's mother has amassed a fortune since her son died -- to the tune of tens of millions, which is why she can pay for her own lawyers ... so claims MJ's estate.

A rep for the estate confirms to TMZ that they've filed legal docs in their ongoing dispute with Katherine Jackson over attorney's fees that she's trying to have the estate cover ... over a deal that the estate itself struck, which she's currently appealing.

TMZ has seen the paperwork ... and it lays out some financial info that, if accurate, is absolutely eye-popping.

In the filing, the estate claims there's a massive amount of cash and other benefits Katherine has received since Michael's death in 2009 ... with the executors of the estate alleging it all totals more than $55 million over the nearly 15 years.

A good chunk of that dough, the estate claims, comes in the form of a monthly allowance it says Katherine is afforded by MJ's estate, and totals more than $160k/month.

that allowance -- plus other cash payments -- amount to $33 million of the $55m total, according to the estate.

On top of that, the docs say Katherine is well taken care of by the estate ... which claims to have shelled out more than $15 million to buy and improve her luxury home, not to mention paying for her transportation and other perks -- like a private gardener, chef, and security.

The point of the estate executors laying this all out is to bolster their argument Katherine can afford to cover her own attorney's fees as she pushes forward with her appeal to fight a huge business deal the estate struck ... which she and Michael's son, Blanket, were fighting together until recently.

Unclear what exactly that deal is, but it appears to be related to the blockbuster deal the estate struck for Sony to buy half of MJ's music catalog for 9 figures.

We broke the story ... Blanket filed legal docs earlier this week that made clear he, too, felt Katherine should be covering her own attorney's fees for the appeal -- and that the estate shouldn't have to pick up the tab.

Blanket was on Katherine's side up until a judge ultimately ruled against them, and he decided it didn't make sense to go forward with an appeal of that ruling.

Blanket now says he wants out of the fight -- and that Katherine is on her own for the appeal.

La madre de Michael Jackson ha amasado una fortuna desde que su hijo murió. Literalmente decenas de millones... así que puede pagar sus propios abogados.

Un representante del patrimonio le confirma a TMZ que han presentado documentos legales en su disputa en curso con Katherine Jackson, sobre los honorarios del abogado que ella está tratando de que el patrimonio costee.

TMZ ha visto el papeleo, y si es exacto, es absolutamente impresionante.

En la presentación, la finca afirma que hay una enorme cantidad de dinero en efectivo y otros beneficios que Katherine ha recibido desde la muerte de Michael en 2009, con los ejecutores de la finca alegando que todo suma más de $55 millones en casi 15 años.

Una buena parte de ese dinero viene en forma de una asignación mensual de $160k.

Ese subsidio por sí solo asciende de $33 millones a los $ 55M, de acuerdo con el patrimonio.

Además de eso, los documentos dicen Katherine está bien protegida, y afirman haber desembolsado más de $15 millones para comprar y mejorar su casa de lujo, por no hablar de pagar por su transporte y otros beneficios; como un jardinero privado, chef y seguridad.

El punto es reforzar el argumento de que Katherine puede permitirse el lujo de cubrir los honorarios de su propio abogado, mientras ella sigue adelante con su apelación para luchar contra un gran negocio hizo el patrimonio... ella y el hijo de Michael, Blanket, estaban luchando juntos hasta hace poco.

No está claro cómo es exactamente este acuerdo, pero parece estar relacionado con el exitoso movimiento en el que Sony compró la mitad del catálogo de la música de Michael por un número de 9 cifras.

Publicamos la historia... Blanket presentó documentos legales a principios de esta semana que dejaron claro que también sentía que Katherine debe cubrir los honorarios de su propio abogado para la apelación, y que el patrimonio no debería pagar la cuenta.

Blanket estuvo del lado de Katherine hasta que un juez falló en su contra, y decidió que no tenía sentido seguir adelante con una apelación.

Blanket dice que quiere salirse de la pelea y que Katherine está por su cuenta para la apelación.

Mark Ruffalo's calendar just opened up a bit ... 'cause a conference he was supposed to speak at just canceled his appearance, and his support for Palestine seems to be the key.

The actor was all set to speak at MTMP -- a conference for lawyers and their paralegals to discuss the ins and outs of class action lawsuits, etc. The conference is taking place in early April, but now ... it appears Ruffalo won't be there, 'cause they're nixing him from the lineup.

The event's organizers sent out a statement to the attendees this week saying Mark had been invited to speak at the conference after playing an environmental activist/attorney in the movie "Dark Waters" back in 2019 -- which touched on a lot of the things they already do in the real world ... so they wanted to have him show up and speak to the same issues.

Ruffalo -- an environmental activist himself -- was set to be a big-time guest for the conference, but the event said this was before Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7 ... and more importantly, before Ruffalo's very public support of Palestine, especially at the Oscars.

ICYMI ... Mark spoke with reporters at the Oscars and showed visible excitement while heading in over a Palestinian protest that delayed him. He also donned a pin representing Artists Call for Ceasefire Now ... so yeah, he was leaning into his pro-Palestine position.

It seems Ruffalo's stance is too controversial for the MTMP conference ... because organizers say they didn't want the event to be overshadowed by the war in the Middle East, and by Mark as well. Instead, they say they're canceling Ruffalo's appearance -- despite possibly losing their speaking fee in the process -- and asked the attendees not to boycott the event.

Ruffalo's been an outspoken advocate for a number of causes over the years, and that hasn't stopped since the surprise attack by Hamas on October 7 or the subsequent invasion of the Gaza Strip by Israel.

Back in November, Ruffalo called out Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for referring to Palestinians in Gaza as "collateral damage" while also sharing a petition to end "child bloodshed" in the region the month before.

On its face, it seems not everyone who was planning to go to MTMP was happy with his recent comments ... and, it looks like it's affecting gigs of his, including this one.

La agenda de Mark Ruffalo se acaba de despejar un poco, luego que una conferencia en la que iba a hablar cancelara su aparición y el motivo parece ser su apoyo a Palestina.

El actor iba a intervenir en MTMP, una conferencia de abogados en la que se debaten los entresijos de las demandas colectivas, etc. La conferencia iba a tener lugar a principios de abril, pero ahora parece que Ruffalo no estará allí, porque lo han borrado del programa.

Los organizadores del evento enviaron un comunicado a los asistentes esta semana diciendo que Mark había sido invitado a hablar en la conferencia después de interpretar a un activista ambiental y abogado en la película "Dark Waters" en 2019, la que abordó muchas de las cosas que ya hacen en el mundo real, por lo que querían que se presentara y hablara de los mismos temas.

El propio Ruffalo es un activista por el medio ambiente y había sido calificado como uno de los grandes invitados de la conferencia, pero el evento dijo que esto fue antes de que Hamás atacara a Israel el 7 de octubre, y lo más importante, antes del apoyo público que Ruffalo dio a Palestina, especialmente en los Oscar.

Por si se lo perdieron, Mark habló con los periodistas en los Oscar y se mostró visiblemente emocionado mientras se dirigía a una protesta palestina que lo retrasó. También se puso un pin que representaba a Artists Call for Ceasefire Now, así que sí, estaba inclinándose hacia su posición pro-Palestina.

Parece que la postura de Ruffalo es demasiado controvertida para la conferencia MTMP porque los organizadores dicen que no querían que el evento se viera ensombrecido por la guerra en Medio Oriente, y por ende por Mark. En su lugar, dicen que están cancelando la aparición de Ruffalo, a pesar de la posibilidad de perder su cuota de intervención en el proceso, y le pidieron a los asistentes que no boicotearan el evento.

Ruffalo ha sido un abierto defensor de varias causas a lo largo de los años, y eso no ha parado desde el ataque sorpresa de Hamás el 7 de octubre o la posterior invasión de la Franja de Gaza por parte de Israel.

Ya en noviembre, Ruffalo criticó al primer ministro israelí, Benjamin Netanyahu, por referirse a los palestinos de Gaza como "daños colaterales", al tiempo que compartió una petición para poner fin al "derramamiento de sangre infantil" en la región el mes anterior.

A primera vista, parece que no todos los que planeaban ir a MTMP estaban contentos con sus recientes comentarios ... y, parece que está afectando a conciertos suyos, incluyendo éste.

Christine Quinn no está sentada en el banquillo en medio de la detención de su marido por presunta agresión con un arma mortal, y se prepara para pedir una mayor protección, TMZ ha indagado.

Fuentes con conocimiento directo nos dicen que la estrella de "Selling Sunset" está hablando activamente con sus abogados en este momento, y nos dicen que está dispuesta a exponer su historia con Christian Dumontet, la cual ha sido muy turbulenta.

Nos dicen que está pensando que hacer con su matrimonio -incluyendo la posibilidad de considerar el divorcio- la protección de ella y su hijo es su máxima prioridad en este momento, razón por la cual nuestras fuentes dicen que ella quiere una orden de restricción.

Se nos dice que Christine parece preparada para hacer más acusaciones contra Christian, y es por eso que se está reuniendo con sus abogados. Nos dicen que hay mucho que detallar sobre lo que ella afirma que pasó a puertas cerradas, incluso antes del incidente que ocurrió el martes.

Nuestras fuentes nos dicen que, por ahora, la relación de Christine y Christian se siente irrevocablemente rota, pero hasta que exista una demanda de divorcio, nunca se sabe lo que podría suceder. Todo lo que sabemos es que Christine quisiera tener un campo de fuerza de ser posible.

Como informamos, la orden de protección de emergencia proporcionada por la policía caduca en 7 días, por lo que el miércoles, Christine tendrá que solicitar una orden de restricción temporal si quiere protección legal adicional.

Christian fue detenido dos veces en 2 días. Esto comenzó con el incidente en el cual le lanzó una bolsa con vidrios que terminó golpeando a su hijo.

Christine Quinn isn't sitting on the sidelines amid her husband's arrest for alleged assault with a deadly weapon -- she's going on the offensive and gearing up to ask for further protection ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us the "Selling Sunset" star is actively speaking with attorneys right now -- as we're told she's prepared to lay out her history with Christian Dumontet ... something our sources say has been up-and-down through their marriage.

We're told that before she even entertains what to do with her marriage -- including the possibility of considering divorce -- protecting her and her son is her top priority right now ... which is why our sources say she wants a restraining order.

We're told Christine seems primed to make further allegations against Christian -- which is why she's meeting with lawyers ... because we're told there's lots to detail about what she claims went on behind closed doors, even before the incident that went down on Tuesday.

Our sources do tell us that, for now, Christine and Christian's relationship feels irrevocably broken -- but until a divorce filing is in ... you never know what might happen. All we know is that Christine is dead-set on getting an additional legal forcefield around her ASAP.

As we reported ... the emergency protective order provided to her by police lapses in 7 days -- so by Wednesday, Christine will need to file for a TRO if she wants additional legal protection.

Christian, of course, was arrested twice in 2 days this week stemming from an alleged incident that cops say involved him throwing a sack with glass at her .. and hitting their kid.

Prosecutors have charged a third man in connection to the death of Lisa Lopez-Galvan and injuries to more than two dozen others at the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl parade last month ... with officials tracking down the suspect using surveillance footage, social media and cell phone data.

20-year-old Kansas City native Terry Young was charged with second-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of armed criminal action for his alleged role in the tragedy ... after he was accused of pulling out a gun and firing several times during the shooting.

According to court docs, officials claim surveillance footage shows an individual brandishing a firearm during a verbal argument ... which led Young to reveal his own weapon, walk toward them, and pull the trigger.

Detectives were able to identify Young by scouring his social media profiles and YouTube videos ... which showed him wearing the same green and yellow teddy bear backpack he allegedly had during the parade.

Detectives also obtained search warrants for two other suspects' cell phones ... and discovered a group chat in which a number believed to be Young's sent a text that read "I dropped dat n**** first shot."

Officials got access to Young's Facebook, as well ... and they say it featured videos of him with firearms and other suspects in the shooting.

Young was arrested on Wednesday ... and prosecutors requested he be held on $1 million cash bond.

As we previously reported, Lyndell Mays, Dominic Miller and two juveniles have also been hit with charges stemming from the shooting.

The Detroit Lions have released Cameron Sutton ... just one day after it was revealed cops are looking to arrest him following an alleged domestic violence incident in Florida.

The NFL org announced the roster decision on Thursday ... without providing any further comment.

As we previously reported, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office began looking for Sutton earlier this month ... after a woman alleged that back on March 7, he roughed her up during a violent encounter.

Police say despite attempts to call Sutton and locate him at his Pinellas County residence ... they haven't had any luck getting a hold of him -- and they're now seeking the public's help to find him.

If and when he's caught, the HCSO said in a statement he's facing a charge of domestic battery by strangulation.

Sutton -- a 29-year-old Univ. of Tennessee alum -- was selected by the Steelers in the third round of the 2017 draft. Last March, he inked a three-year deal worth $33 million to play for Detroit.

Karen Huger's scary Tuesday night crash seems to have left its mark on the area ... with the first photos from the scene appearing to show just how close Karen came to disaster.

The pics, obtained by TMZ, show where the 'Real Housewives' star swerved off the road in Potomac, MD -- leaving lots of skids and torn-up grass before slamming into a tree ... taking a big chunk of the bark with her. We've confirmed these were taken at the specific location mentioned in the court docket that laid out all of Karen's charges and traffic violations.

The photos and video we got give a clear indication of how serious the wreck was -- honing in on the point of contact where Karen went off the roadway -- which she says she did to avoid an oncoming car -- this after having a very emotional dinner with a friend of hers.

Police however tell a different tale ... with Montgomery County PD now offering another update on what they say went down after Karen had her accident.

As we reported ... cops had told us Karen hit the median and a street sign late Tuesday night while driving her 2017 Maserati -- and we're now told a security guard in the neighborhood saw the whole thing and called the police.

A MCPD rep says fire rescue and police officers responded to the call with an ambulance ... but, police say Huger refused to go to the hospital or be evaluated.

We're told KH was then taken into custody and transported to a district station ... with police telling us she was actually arrested and cited for DUI that evening ... but wasn't booked into their jail. Instead, they tell us she was released to her husband, Raymond.

Karen was also cited for other traffic violations before being released.

Huger hasn't addressed the DUI/DWI charges yet ... the only thing she mentioned to us Wednesday was a car going straight for her while she was driving ... which she says caused her to swerve to dodge it -- explaining she miraculously walked away without injuries.

Wendy Williams' guardian was unsuccessful in blocking the release of Lifetime's documentary about her -- and now, we know what they told a judge to get the court to take their side.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, A&E filed a response to what Sabrina Morrissey -- Wendy's court-appointed guardian -- submitted just days before their project was set to hit the airwaves a few weeks ago ... and the network stands by its decision to move forward with the release.

An executive producer on 'Where Is Wendy Williams?' named Mark Ford lays out in detail how the doc came together ... and who he claims was onboard, including Wendy herself -- who he says was willing and eager to participate as the subject -- as well as Wendy's guardian, Sabrina.

In a sworn statement to the court, Ford says Wendy had been signed on to this doc from the get-go -- but as time went on and it became clear she was battling health issues, although Ford claims he didn't become aware of her dementia diagnosis until filming was nearly complete. He insists Wendy "appears to feel most at home when she is able to continue sharing her life" with the public and says the dementia diagnosis became "part of the story she wanted to tell."

He cites the Britney Spears conservatorship and the larger conversations about legal apparatuses like that as a driving force behind their intention to weigh in on this important matter through the documentary.

More importantly, Ford says that he spoke with several people directly in Wendy's orbit who assured him that Sabrina was well aware of what was going on and what they were filming ... and that she never attempted to stop Wendy from participating, although Sabrina did not ultimately participate herself in the documentary.

That's exactly why he says he and everyone else at Lifetime have a hard time understanding why Morrissey tried to block the doc -- 'cause they say it was pretty clear what they were shooting for over a year. In the documents they speculate Sabrina saw the trailer and realized she might be criticized and tried to shut the documentary down.

As we reported ... the judge sided with A&E/Lifetime, and let the doc air. Morrissey, for her part, suggested Wendy had been exploited and that the angle Lifetime went with took her and Wendy by surprise ... claiming Wendy never got a peek at the final cut of the project.

Christine Quinn's husband was arrested for a second time this week -- this after cops say he showed up at their home despite the fact he was ordered to stay away ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us Christian Dumontet was taken into custody again Wednesday night after cops say he arrived at his and Christine's house in the Hollywood Hills ... which spurred a 911 call and landed Christian in handcuffs for the 2nd day in a row.

We're told he was hauled away by officers and taken to jail, where he was booked on a charge of violating an emergency protective order. Photos of cops on the scene last night show at least one police cruiser at Christine's home ... but not shots of Christian himself.

Unclear who called the cops -- but sources with direct knowledge tell us Christine wasn't the one to alert police to Christian's presence, and more importantly ... we're told she wasn't even at the property at all.

Our sources tell us she hasn't been back to the home since heading to the hospital with their kid -- and is currently in a safe location with the child. Regardless ... we're told Christian being at the property is a no-go based on the legal forcefield afforded to Christine.

Remember ... she was granted an emergency protective order that's in place for 7 days after what allegedly happened between her and Christian on Tuesday -- and if she wants additional protection, she'll have to file for a restraining order.

As we reported ... Christian stands accused of trying to get violent with Christine during an argument -- having allegedly thrown a bag full of glass at her, but missing and allegedly striking their 2-year-old son instead. 911 was called, and Christian was led away by police.

We're told Christian was released from jail early Thursday morning on bond. We've reached out to Christine's camp ... so far, no word back.

Michael Jackson's family is involved in a complex legal battle ... and they're not all on the same side in this one -- 'cause MJ's son Blanket is trying to stop his own grandmother from using estate money in her ongoing fight.

Here's the deal ... Blanket -- MJ's youngest son, whose real name is Bigi Jackson -- filed documents this week, obtained by TMZ,  asking the court not to allow his grandmother Katherine to use Michael's estate money to fund an appeal of a previous ruling.

Basically, Blanket and his grandmother were recently working together to stop the executors of Jackson's estate from going through with a huge business transaction that they were very much so against.

The docs don't say exactly what the transaction was -- it's been shrouded in mystery throughout this saga -- but, based on recent reporting, it seems like it may be related to the deal the estate made with Sony to sell about half of Michael's music catalog for $600M.

Blanket explains he and his grandmother presented their arguments opposing the deal ... but ultimately the court ruled against them -- seemingly bringing the legal issue to a close.

However, Katherine's decided to appeal the ruling ... a move Blanket says he doesn’t want any part of -- and, more importantly ... he doesn't want his father's estate paying for her legal bills. As you know, he's an heir to the estate ... so that cash is pretty important to him.

The way Blanket explains it in the docs ... the appeal has little chance of winning, and he says he doesn't think it truly benefits the beneficiaries of the trust to continue the fight -- so, he simply doesn't want the estate to foot the bill for it ... something Katherine wants.

Blanket's also asked the court to use its best judgment to grant Katherine reasonable attorney's fees incurred from the pre-appeal battle -- which he agrees she's entitled to ... at least to a certain extent.

It's unsurprising Blanket's filing against Katherine ... just yesterday, executors of Michael's estate reportedly claimed that she receives a seven-figure allowance for the year -- money Blanket presumably would rather she use for the appeal instead of the estate's dough.

El marido de Christine Quinn fue detenido por segunda vez esta semana, esto después de que la policía dijera que se presentó en su casa a pesar de que le ordenaron mantenerse alejado... TMZ ha indagado.

Fuentes policiales nos dicen que Christian Dumontet fue detenido de nuevo la noche del miércoles después de que la policía informara que llegó a su casa y la de Christine en las colinas de Hollywood, lo que provocó una llamada al 911 y su detención por segunda vez consecutiva.

Nos dicen que fue detenido y llevado a la cárcel, donde fue fichado por un cargo de violación de una orden de protección de emergencia. Fotos de la policía de anoche muestran al menos a un carro patrulla de la policía en la casa de Christine, pero no hay capturas de Christian.

No está claro quién llamó a la policía, pero fuentes con conocimiento directo nos dicen que Christine no fue quien lo hizo, y lo más importante, nos dicen que ni siquiera estaba en la propiedad en absoluto.

Nuestras fuentes nos dicen que no ha vuelto a casa desde que se dirigió al hospital con su hijo, y actualmente se encuentra en un lugar seguro con el niño. A pesar de todo, nos informan que Christian no puede entrar a la propiedad por ley.

Recordemos que Christine tiene una orden de protección vigente por 7 días. Esto luego del supuesto ocurrió entre ella y Christian el martes, y si ella quiere protección adicional, tendrá que solicitar una orden de restricción.

Como informamos, Christian está acusado de tratar de ponerse violento con Christine durante una discusión, luego de supuestamente haberle lanzado una bolsa llena de vidrios, la cual terminó golpeando a su hijo de dos años. Llamaron al 911 y a Christian se lo llevó la policía.

L.A. Lakers big man Christian Wood's ex, Yasmine Lopez, is opening up on the wild allegations made against her in court documents ... owning up to keying a car and hopping his fence -- but claiming she's seeking help following the incidents.

TMZ Sports broke the story -- Wood accused Lopez of wreaking havoc on his personal life ... abusing and stalking him, damaging his property (including two luxury vehicles) on multiple occasions, and keeping their child from him.

Lopez weighed in on the recent events during an Instagram livestream ... and she expressed her regret with how their business has been thrown into the spotlight.

The influencer and model seemingly defended her actions while speaking with her followers on Wednesday ... saying, "I wouldn't be hopping nobody's fence for no f***ing reason, but I don't condone violence. I don't."

She also claimed the car she wrecked did not belong to Wood, but rather his new girl's vehicle -- regardless, she did go to jail over the February incident.

Lopez revealed she is taking the proper measures in hopes of preventing issues in the future ... including therapy.

"I'm working on myself to become a better woman, a better mom, just all around," she added. "I don't have time for the bulls***."

"The s*** I tolerated in the past, I'll never tolerate again."

La familia de Michael Jackson está involucrada en una compleja batalla legal y no todos están en el mismo bando, pues el hijo de Michael, Blanket, está tratando de detener a su propia abuela de usar dinero de la herencia en el marco de la lucha que está en curso.

Esta es la cuestión, Blanket, el hijo menor de Michael Jackson, cuyo verdadero nombre es Bigi Jackson, presentó documentos esta semana que fueron obtenidos por TMZ, que piden al tribunal que no permita que su abuela Katherine utilice el dinero de la herencia de Michael para financiar una apelación de una sentencia anterior.

Básicamente, Blanket y su abuela estuvieron trabajando juntos recientemente para impedir que los albaceas de la herencia de Jackson siguieran adelante con una enorme transacción comercial con la que ellos estaban muy en contra.

Los documentos no dicen exactamente cuál fue la transacción, la que ha estado envuelta en misterio a lo largo de esta saga, pero de acuerdo a la información reciente, parece que puede estar relacionada con el acuerdo que los albaceas hicieron con Sony para vender la mitad del catálogo musical de Michael por $600M.

Blanket explica que él y su abuela presentaron sus argumentos en contra del acuerdo, pero en última instancia, el tribunal falló en contra de ellos y aparentemente habría puesto fin a la cuestión jurídica.

Sin embargo, Katherine ha decidido apelar al fallo, un movimiento del que Blanket no quiere ser parte, y más importante, no quiere que la herencia de su padre pague estas facturas legales. Como saben, él es uno de los herederos, por lo que el dinero es muy importante.

Por la forma en que Blanket lo explica en los documentos, la apelación tiene pocas posibilidades de ganar y dice que no cree que beneficie a los beneficiarios del fideicomiso, por lo que simplemente no quiere pagar por ello, pero Katherine sí.

Blanket también le ha pedido al tribunal que use su mejor juicio para concederle a Katherine unos honorarios razonables por los abogados incurridos en la batalla previa a la apelación, algo a lo que él considera que sí tiene derecho, al menos hasta cierto punto.

No es de extrañar esta petición de Blanket en contra de Katherine. Ayer mismo, los albaceas de la herencia de Michael, según los informes, afirmaron que ella recibió una asignación de siete cifras este año, dinero que Blanket presumiblemente preferiría que utilice para la apelación en lugar de recurrir al efectivo del fideicomiso.

El Tío Sam está llevando a Apple a los tribunales con el alegato de que tiene un monopolio en el negocio de los smartphones y que la naturaleza interconectada de sus productos es un poco demasiado anticompetitiva.

El jueves, el Departamento de Justicia presentó una demanda federal contra la compañía de Tim Cook con un montón de acusaciones contra el gigante de la tecnología, incluyendo que todo su modelo de negocios es inherentemente controlador y que tiene un dominio absoluto de la industria.

En los documentos obtenidos por TMZ, los federales dicen que el ecosistema de todas las cosas de Apple -incluyendo el iPhone, su reloj de Apple y otras aplicaciones y funciones conectadas a la computadora central de Apple- ha creado un "agujero" que está dejando injustamente afuera a sus empresas rivales y a sus propios clientes.

La demanda afirma: "Durante muchos años, Apple ha creado una plataforma y un ecosistema dominante para el iPhone que han impulsado la astronómica valoración de la empresa. Al mismo tiempo, ha comprendido hace tiempo que las tecnologías disruptivas y las aplicaciones, productos y servicios innovadores amenazaban ese dominio, al hacer que los usuarios dependieran menos del iPhone o les facilitaran el cambio a un smartphone que no fuera de Apple".

Los federales añaden: "En lugar de responder a las amenazas de la competencia ofreciendo menores precios de sus teléfonos inteligentes a los consumidores o una mejor monetización para los desarrolladores, Apple habría hecho frente a las amenazas de la competencia imponiendo una serie de normas y restricciones cambiantes en sus directrices de la App Store y en sus acuerdos con desarrolladores lo que le habría permitido a Apple extraer tarifas más altas, frustrar la innovación, ofrecer una experiencia de usuario menos segura o degradada y estrangular las alternativas competitivas. Ha desplegado estas jugadas a través de muchas tecnologías, productos y servicios, incluyendo super apps, mensajería de texto, smartwatches y carteras digitales, entre muchos otros".

Además de sus productos, que los federales alegan que son creados solo para que funcionen dentro del sistema de Apple, la demanda afirma que la empresa ha hecho todo lo posible por cerrar las aplicaciones y/o programas que faciliten la comunicación de la gente entre productos iPhones con productos no iPhone. Esencialmente, están alegando que Apple ha hecho imposible interactuar con otros productos y usuarios si estos no están utilizando también un producto de Apple, y dicen que eso viola la ley federal.

La demanda también dice esto: "Si no se cuestiona, Apple solo seguirá fortaleciendo su monopolio de los smartphones. Este comportamiento anticompetitivo está diseñado para mantener su poder monopólico, mientras obtienen la mayor cantidad de ingresos posible."