Apple Gets $1.2 Million Anti-Trust Fine From Italy while Argentina Stops iPhone & BlackBerry Sales

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Apple and RIM have received some unexpected Christmas “gifts” from two governments in Europe and South America this year, as Italy decided to fine Apple $1.2 Million for anti-trust practices while Argentina banned iPhone and BlackBerry sales in the region.

Italy’s anti-trust body decided to act against Apple Sales International, Apple Italia and Apple Retail Italia for “failing to adequately inform customers about their rights to product guarantees and assistance,” Reuters reports.

Apparently Apple failed to disclose to Italian customers the fact that the “AppleCare Protection Plan” overlaps with the mandatory free assistance required by law in the region when recommending the purchase of the product. Apple is also going to face eBook price-fixing accusations in a different European investigation, although there aren’t any details about this particular inquiry at this time.

Moving on to Argentina, Manuals reports that the Argentinean Government has decided to stop iPhone and BlackBerry sales in the country in order to stimulate economic growth. Argentinean customers interested in getting an iPhone or a BlackBerry will either have to purchase them from neighboring countries or wait for Apple and RIM to build local smartphone plants:

In order to continue to sell iPhone smartphones, Apple and BlackBerry must build plants in Argentina, a move that companies like Nokia, Samsung, Motorola and LG already made. Probably Apple and RIM won’t open such plants in Argentina, so if the Government won’t change its mind, then the Argentineans won’t be able to buy iPhone and BlackBerry smartphones from now on.

RIM is supposedly looking for local partners to build BlackBerry devices, but I doubt Apple is considering a similar approach. The company has various deals with Asian suppliers when it comes to its iOS devices, not to mention that Foxconn, one of Apple’s partners, is already investing in a Brazilian plant expected to build iOS devices.