Apple Inc said on Friday that a case brought by European Union antitrust regulators accusing it of setting restrictive rules on its App Store was "the opposite of fair competition".

The move by the European Commission followed a complaint by Swedish music streaming service Spotify two years ago.

"Spotify has become the largest music subscription service in the world, and we’re proud of the role we played in that," Apple said in a statement.

"Once again, they want all the benefits of the App Store but don't think they should have to pay anything for that. The Commission’s argument on Spotify's behalf is the opposite of fair competition," it added.

  - Reuters