Spotify makes case against Apple in Congress

As Apple and Spotify battle to dominate the latest trend in music – online streaming — their corporate rivalry is morphing into a high-stakes influence war in Washington.

Spotify’s lobbyists have quietly made the rounds in DC, whispering to lawmakers for months that Apple’s new music offering threatens to stifle its competitors, according to sources familiar with the discussions. The apparent goal has been to raise antitrust suspicions about the iPhone giant, which faced a previous government lawsuit over its pricing of e-books. The secretive congressional meetings come amid reports that the Federal Trade Commission is looking into Apple’s streaming service, though the agency has declined to say if it’s opened a probe. Still, Spotify’s effort to fan the flames highlights the intensity of the clash between the two companies – and the potential for scrutiny as Apple enters a new, fast-evolving market.