I don’t think this is about hardware. It’s about the OS and service infrastructure behind it. And none of us own that except for Apple. We merely have a licence to use it.
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Apple Explains Why It Terminated Epic's Latest Developer Account
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Their Game Stores don't qualify as "Gatekeepers". This is due to the significant smaller number of third-party vendors operating on them.
Apple sells devices which consist of a combination of hardware and software. Once a device is sold, the user owns it, not Apple. Third parties then sell further software to the user, to be run on said device. At that point, Apple shouldn’t be involved anymore at all.
Quite amazing, they terminated their account because Schiller didn't like Sweeney trash talking Apple on twitter 🤣
So all Macrumors has to do is get big enough, and then the E.U. will force them to provide access to anyone no matter how badly they behave.
You do not own the operating system that makes your phone work; Apple does.
And people will say that Apple doesn't gatekeep iOS apps...
Apple today said it has terminated Epic Games Sweden's developer account worldwide due to the game developer's pattern of untrustworthy behavior.
Apple shared the following statement with MacRumors:In a letter sent to Epic, lawyers representing Apple said that Epic has proven to be "verifiably untrustworthy." Apple said it cannot be assured that Epic will follow the Apple Developer Program's terms and conditions in the future.
Epic said that it had intended to use the Swedish account to launch an Epic Games Store on iOS in the EU, and this would have brought the Fortnite app back to the iPhone. Starting with iOS 17.4, Apple allows alternative app marketplaces on the iPhone in the EU, as part of its compliance with the Digital Markets Act.
In a press release, Epic said that Apple terminating the Swedish developer account is a "serious violation" of the Digital Markets Act, and "shows Apple has no intention of allowing true competition on iOS devices."
More from Epic's response:Epic believes that Apple suspended its Swedish developer account in part due to Epic CEO Tim Sweeney's public criticism of Apple's proposed Digital Markets Act compliance plans. Epic shared a letter it received from the App Store's chief Phil Schiller, who indeed said that Sweeney's "colorful criticism" of Apple's plans, but also Epic's history of "intentionally violating contractual provisions with which it disagrees," strongly suggest that Epic does not intend to follow the Apple Developer Program rules if reinstated.
The legal battle between the two companies began in 2020, after Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store on the iPhone due to Epic introducing a direct payment option in the app for the in-game currency V-Bucks, in defiance of the App Store rules. In what appears to have been an orchestrated move, Epic promptly filed a lawsuit against Apple, accusing the company of anti-competitive behavior.
Apple had already terminated one of Epic's other developer accounts in 2020 after the company violated the App Store's rules with its Fortnite stunt.
Epic continues to litigate against Apple in both the U.S. and Australia, and it appears that the highly-publicized legal battle is far from over.
Article Link: Apple Explains Why It Terminated Epic's Latest Developer Account
In case the terms of the contract are unlawful, then yes, you can.
Good epic can go kick rocks bunch of losers
If that's the case (which it isn't in the EU) then I'd like Apple to provide a way to install another OS on my hardware.
Game consoles are not marketed as general purpose computers. Smartphones are.
Aside from that, perhaps the EU should also focus on Sony, MS, and Nintendo. I think they would find, however, that any such enforcement would result in game consoles in the EU inflating in price to be similar to smartphones. Pretty sure EU citizens would not be happy spending $1200 for a Nintendo Switch.
Did they, though?
Their lawyers throw around some vague "pattern of untrustworthy behavior" and claim Epic committed an "egregious breach of its contractual obligations" but offer no substantial explanation at all what these "patterns" and this "breach" are supposed to be.
I'm certainly not on Epic's side here but Apple will need to offer some better explanations for this behavior to not just appear spiteful.
And nobody is saying that you shouldn't have the choice to utilize that service. They are just saying that you should have the choice not to utilize that service.
You got your store. Now have fun developing your own developer tools. See you on IOS in a few years again-
maybe.
Consumers do not own the software on the iPhone...
Apple sell the hardware title and they sell a software licence. The user never owns the software. They merely licence it. Third parties also do not sell further software. They sell a licence to it. It might be for a one off fee or a subscription, but it is a licence, not title. Apple are entitled to remain involved through the whole process because that is what it says in the hardware conditions of sale, and the licence agreements for the various softwares.
Read your TOS. That hardware has a license of OS X on it. You don't own the right to install OS X on it but a temporary user supported license on it that runs out (8 years or more considering Apple's supported hardware history), so go install Linux on it and discover you own no power over the GPL either.
You have a temporary user license on that purchase and eventually it ages out. Same goes for all operating systems.
Legal - Software License Agreements - Apple
www.apple.com
Well then this leads in to there should be no developer agreement at all. If you don’t follow an agreement but are still protected. That’s major overreaching for the government. Also should the government be able to force any company to do business with another?
There is a larger issue at play here. Do we want to abolish all laws/EULAs/Agreements/Terms of Use? Just to have things open?
That ex- that just won’t let it go…
Apple today said it has terminated Epic Games Sweden's developer account worldwide due to the game developer's pattern of untrustworthy behavior.
Apple shared the following statement with MacRumors:In a letter sent to Epic, lawyers representing Apple said that Epic has proven to be "verifiably untrustworthy." Apple said it cannot be assured that Epic will follow the Apple Developer Program's terms and conditions in the future.
Epic said that it had intended to use the Swedish account to launch an Epic Games Store on iOS in the EU, and this would have brought the Fortnite app back to the iPhone. Starting with iOS 17.4, Apple allows alternative app marketplaces on the iPhone in the EU, as part of its compliance with the Digital Markets Act.
In a press release, Epic said that Apple terminating the Swedish developer account is a "serious violation" of the Digital Markets Act, and "shows Apple has no intention of allowing true competition on iOS devices."
More from Epic's response:Epic believes that Apple suspended its Swedish developer account in part due to Epic CEO Tim Sweeney's public criticism of Apple's proposed Digital Markets Act compliance plans. Epic shared a letter it received from the App Store's chief Phil Schiller, who indeed said that Sweeney's "colorful criticism" of Apple's plans, but also Epic's history of "intentionally violating contractual provisions with which it disagrees," strongly suggest that Epic does not intend to follow the Apple Developer Program rules if reinstated.
The legal battle between the two companies began in 2020, after Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store on the iPhone due to Epic introducing a direct payment option in the app for the in-game currency V-Bucks, in defiance of the App Store rules. In what appears to have been an orchestrated move, Epic promptly filed a lawsuit against Apple, accusing the company of anti-competitive behavior.
Apple had already terminated one of Epic's other developer accounts in 2020 after the company violated the App Store's rules with its Fortnite stunt.
Epic continues to litigate against Apple in both the U.S. and Australia, and it appears that the highly-publicized legal battle is far from over.
Article Link: Apple Explains Why It Terminated Epic's Latest Developer Account
But they have rights which affect what that software can and cannot do.
Who cares. The E.U. cannot force Apple to do business with anyone.