Spotify accuses Apple of blocking app update

Spotify has accused Apple of preventing a new version of its iOS app from hitting the App Store.

The streaming service wrote to Apple's legal team, as well as some congressional staff in Washington, D.C., claiming that Apple is "causing grave harm to Spotify and its customers."

Spotify general counsel Horacio Gutierrez wrote to Apple general counsel Bruce Sewell and said that it raises serious concerns under US and EU competition law. "It continues a troubling pattern of behavior by Apple to exclude and diminish the competitiveness of Spotify on iOS and as a rival to Apple Music, particularly when seen against the backdrop of Apple's previous anticompetitive conduct aimed at Spotify … we cannot stand by as Apple uses the App Store approval process as a weapon to harm competitors," he wrote.

Spotify has also accused Apple of being uncompetitive as it prohibits apps from using payment systems other than its iTunes system. Apple in turn then charges a monthly fee to use this billing system. Spotify has passed this charge onto customers, which it believes gives Apple's Music a leg up on competitors.

Spotify has tried to strike back against Apple with a recent promotional rate to get people to use its website. However, Apple reportedly threatened to remove the Spotify app completely if it continued to advertise that campaign. In the end, Spotify backed down.

The battle between Apple and Spotify won't end any time soon. And Apple is reportedly looking to gain an advantage elsewhere with the news that it is reportedly in talks to acquire Tidal.