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Apple Facing Antitrust Inquiry Over Flash-to-iPhone Compiler Ban?

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Apr 12, 2001
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The New York Post reports that Apple may be facing a federal antitrust inquiry over a change made to its iPhone developer agreement last month prohibiting developers from using cross-compilers to create their applications. The move, which effectively bans developers from using Adobe's new Packager for iPhone feature in Flash Professional CS5 for App Store submission, has escalated an ongoing dispute between Apple and Adobe over Flash.
According to a person familiar with the matter, the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission are locked in negotiations over which of the watchdogs will begin an antitrust inquiry into Apple's new policy of requiring software developers who devise applications for devices such as the iPhone and iPad to use only Apple's programming tools.

Regulators, this person said, are days away from making a decision about which agency will launch the inquiry. It will focus on whether the policy, which took effect last month, kills competition by forcing programmers to choose between developing apps that can run only on Apple gizmos or come up with apps that are platform neutral, and can be used on a variety of operating systems, such as those from rivals Google, Microsoft and Research In Motion.
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Apple CEO Steve Jobs has become increasingly vocal over his company's views on Flash, arguing that the future of Web content delivery lies in HTML5, CSS and JavaScript and not in Flash. Jobs claims that Flash offers a substandard user experience with reliability and security issues, as well as not being suitable for mobile device platforms for a number of reasons.

With respect to the compiler issue, Jobs' argument rests on the claim that adding a middle layer between the iPhone OS and applications would result in an unsatisfactory user experience and hamper developments due to reliance on those third parties for rolling out new features and other changes. Apple prefers that developers "stand directly on the shoulders" of iPhone OS, as it aims to deliver "the most advanced and innovative platform" to assist them with their app creation.

Article Link: Apple Facing Antitrust Inquiry Over Flash-to-iPhone Compiler Ban?
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2010/05/03/apple-facing-antitrust-inquiry-over-flash-to-iphone-complier-ban/
Yes :)

If justice exists in this world it should smack Apple's botty rather hard here!

Saying that, I wouldn't dev for it in any case, not any more, so can't care less about final outcome...

In any case - bring it on please!
 
While this is a good move I just don't see how Apple could lose.

iPhone is far from a monopoly, and surely Apple can dictate what tools are used to develop with? Developers are quite welcome to drop Apple mobile development and be quite happy to continue with other smartphone platforms.
 
It will focus on whether the policy, which took effect last month, kills competition by forcing programmers to choose between developing apps that can run only on Apple gizmos or come up with apps that are platform neutral, and can be used on a variety of operating systems, such as those from rivals Google, Microsoft and Research In Motion.
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I'm no lawyer, but doesn't the fact the developers CAN choose obviate anti-trust?

Apple's position may be a bad business decision, but does it really rise to the level of being illegal?
 
Good, it's only a matter of time. Apple is no longer the underdog. It has larger market cap than Walmart and Microsoft.
 
Very interesting. I hope that it doesn't really amount to anything though. I really don't want flash on my device or have to hear every wacko out their complaining about how flash has reduced their battery life to nothing. Flash has lived past its Golden Years and now needs to be retired.
 
Stella said:
While this is a good move I just don't see how Apple could lose.

iPhone is far from a monopoly, and surely Apple can dictate what tools are used to develop with?
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Apple making statements like they are the largest mobile manufacturer certainly don't help.
 
I have to side with Apple on this one... it's their "gizmos". If the FTC has an issue with cross compilers being banned, then why don't they have an issue with apps requiring approval in the first place?
 
Hopefully one day soon OSX will have to offer you a choice of Web Browsers when you install.

Rather then force Safari onto you without even asking.

Well, it's only fair isn't it ?


Come on, he's been pushing and pushing af far as he can get, even pi$$ing developers off, it's only a matter of time until enough people felt something needed to be done.
 
Good. It will be resolved one way or the other. I predict apple is in the clear as they exert no "market power" within the meaning of applicable law.
 
It will be interesting to see how this one plays out. My initial assessment here is that Apple may encounter some issues defending this move to block out Adobe here.
 
Vol7ron said:
Very interesting. I hope that nothing really amounts to anything though. I really don't want flash on my device or have to hear every wacko out their complaining about how flash has reduced their battery life to nothing. Flash has lived past its Golden Years and now needs to be retired.
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Reading comprehension?
 
Correct me if I'm wrong, but hasn't this policy always kind of been in effect, even in an unofficial way?

Oh, and Adobe, you have no one to blame but yourself. Your current situation is a result of YEARS of providing mediocre support for your products and ignoring the complaints of just about everyone.

EasyJW said:
apple taking down adobe finally? come on html5!!
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Not just Apple. Even Microsoft expressed their feelings (albeit in a much friendlier way) that HTML5 is the future, not Flash.

-=XX=-Nephilim said:
Yes :)

If justice exists in this world it should smack Apple's botty rather hard here!

Saying that, I wouldn't dev for it in any case, not any more, so can't care less about final outcome...

In any case - bring it on please!
Click to expand...

Smack their (botty?) over what? The iPhone is their product. They can do whatever they damn well please with it. There are a ton of alternatives; no one is holding a gun to anyone's head, forcing them to buy into the Apple product cycle. Users or developers can jump ship and go to the other side whenever they please. This is just a big show of drama.
 
Vol7ron said:
Very interesting. I hope that nothing really amounts to anything though. I really don't want flash on my device or have to hear every wacko out their complaining about how flash has reduced their battery life to nothing. Flash has lived past its Golden Years and now needs to be retired.
Click to expand...

Unfortunatly that's not the case TODAY.

Almost every video review someone links to about an Apple product is being displayed via Flash.

It's like me telling you you should be driving cars that run on my new fuel, (which may be better in the long term) but there are almost no filling stations that offer it.
 
kenypowa said:
Good, it's only a matter of time. Apple is no longer the underdog. It has larger market cap than Walmart and Microsoft.
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Having a large market cap doesn't make you a trust in any meaningful sense - if it were, Wall mart would have been in the same boat when their market cap was larger.

Apple's best argument is that there are several competitors in the cellular market and that Apple's marketshare is not large enough to constitute any sort of a trust - in fact their entire development agreement is a private business contract that does not preclude developers from developing on other platforms.

Not to mention that Apple's SDK is free of charge and always has been.
 
Ohhh, now we get to see how many posteres here understand the difference between the Flash compiler program ban and just having Flash run on the iPhone.

I hope it's a small percentage, but I'm not too optimistic...
 
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