Can somebody with background on the law please explain how this is or isn't an anti-competitive practice? i.e., Warner Bros sues Apple's rival at Apple's request.
Well, reading the article, this guy had an illegal business finding illegal music on the internet for people to play for free they didn't have rights to. A label sued him. The end.
Apple doesn't have much to do with it. They had a legal music business and negotiated to pay the labels, as they should, since the labels own the music rights. They and the labels correctly figured out their competitors were illegal, and they sued.
Should you not be able to sue someone doing something illegal just because they are in the same business as you?