Apple Gave Zoom Access to Special API to Use iPad Camera During Split View Multitasking

[boss.king]

Can any lawyers explain how Apple can do this but still claim to give all devs an even playing field (for example, Tim Cook at the big tech hearing earlier this year) without any repercussions? Surely lying to a House Judiciary subcommittee is a crime, no?

 

[zakarhino]

Gotta love the fanboys shouting, "but this or that unique situation makes it ok," and the critics screaming, "ZOMG Apple is terrible choosing winners and losers and not treating everyone 100% equally." The reality of life, the world, and business is there are no hard and fast lines in the sand for how people or companies treat each other, their clients, or their customers. The business world, like life in general, is incredibly nuanced, and it needs to be that way. It's way past time for everyone to stop shouting about rights they make up in their mind for self-serving reasons and start dealing with the real world.

Yeah man, "both sides are wrong." Totally. The real truth here is that huge companies should be able to do whatever they want because business is complicated and stuff and that's just life. Everyone needs to stop talking about their rights!! I am very smart.

 

[I7guy]

Let me help you:


Epic's argument is about money & control. Apple is demonstrating here that it holds a lot of control in the App Store, making decisions that result in an unfair advantage for itself and other companies. Imagine if you have an app that's working quite well and then your competitor ends up with an API you can't access - how is that fair? And then to add insult to injury the gatekeeper claims that everyone is offered a level playing field. It's just BS.

Real world business doesn’t work in the way you paint the picture. All devs are treated equally in that access to apple is open and needs can be discussed. Doesn't mean you get the keys to the kingdom.

 

[I7guy]

Can any lawyers explain how Apple can do this but still claim to give all devs an even playing field (for example, Tim Cook at the big tech hearing earlier this year) without any repercussions? Surely lying to a House Judiciary subcommittee is a crime, no?

Giving devs access to apple resources is treating devs equally. Doesn’t mean every dev gets the keys to the kingdom. Focusing on one dev for an api that another didnt is a red-herring.

 

[Mrjetsondc]

apple why you gotta be so naughty? Lol. Whatever. I’ll still buy your products. I’ll complain, but I’ll still buy !!!

 

[MauiPa]

Can you say beta? Haters will hate, but this sounds more like a beta feature that is still in process than any illicit action on apple's part. Remember when Microsoft used to have a secret API to make they applications work better than everyone else's? Well this is not the case here. Just hoping all the haters will take back their statements when the working API is released. LOL, not going to happen

 

[boss.king]

Giving devs access to apple resources is treating devs equally. Doesn’t mean every dev gets the keys to the kingdom. Focusing on one dev for an api that another didnt is a red-herring.

Just to confirm, are you a lawyer or is this just a layman’s interpretation?

 

[edgonzalez32]

Everyone disagreeing with those that are saying that teams, meet etc should have access are so wildly ignorant to the point where you don’t even know why you’re defending those apps not having access to that api.

 

[I7guy]

Just to confirm, are you a lawyer or is this just a layman’s interpretation?

I’m confirming it’s my opinion on the subject and a fact that private businesses treat their largest customers differently.

You are welcome to cite some case law on this or weigh in with an opinion. But it all depends on the questions that are being asked. The question of "do all devs get access to very api" is very different than the question "does apple treat all devs equally". And will get different responses.

 

[willyx]

Are you a developer?

The company I work for uses a certain software package. As a trusted partner, We have access to APIs which are undocumented and not available to all. This is because our use case demands it.

Without the API access, and comms directly with their development teams it wouldn’t be possible for us to use their software solution.

As a personal side gig I have a watch app. There’s no way I’d expect to get the same level of access as a major company, particularly with regards to accessing APIs which I don’t need.

An important rule of any secure system is that people have access to only what they need and nothing more.

What you expect or do not expect is totally unrelated to what's fair.

Also, comparing your company's case with the App Store's is a total joke.

 

[maldahleh]

Everyone disagreeing with those that are saying that teams, meet etc should have access are so wildly ignorant to the point where you don’t even know why you’re defending those apps not having access to that api.

Is there proof those apps requested it and were denied it though?

 

[krewger]

I don’t see how this is any different to any role play video game that levels you up as you gain skills. The game is fair, you just have to obtain certain levels to unlock skills.

What Epic is asking for is for is what I’d love as a gamer, all my currency is transferable between all my games so I don’t have to start over. It’s unfair I can’t bring my currency, armor, and weapons from Elder Scrolls or Fallout and use them in fortnite. But then, that would disrupt their game and business model and Epic doesn’t want that themselves.

 

[Dreamer2go]

Although I can somewhat able to connect the dots between this "special API" with Zoom versus developers (Epic) thinking Apple is unfair, it's only a smoke screen towards the original agenda of Epic: which is for Apple to allow third party app stores. IMO, this whole "special API" case isn't exactly a fair Apple to Apples argument.
In fact, and correct me if I'm wrong, Apple's home brew FaceTime app doesn't even have this split screen feature. Once you access another app, it's black screen for FaceTime!

 

[chucker23n1]

Is there proof those apps requested it and were denied it though?

How do you request something whose existence hasn’t been revealed?

 

[boss.king]

I’m confirming it’s my opinion on the subject and a fact that private businesses treat their largest customers differently.

You are welcome to cite some case law on this or weigh in with an opinion. But it all depends on the questions that are being asked. The question of "do all devs get access to very api" is very different than the question "does apple treat all devs equally". And will get different responses.

Way to miss the point. I’m was specifically asking for a lawyer’s perspective because I’m not one and my opinion on this, just like yours, doesn’t matter.

 

[I7guy]

Everyone disagreeing with those that are saying that teams, meet etc should have access are so wildly ignorant to the point where you don’t even know why you’re defending those apps not having access to that api.

Can you explain why "everyone disagreeing" are "wildly ignorant" instead of some generalized strawman hyperbolic statement.

 

[DekuBleep]

I wonder why Zoom got it and other video software companies didn't get it? Can you do that in Facetime?

 

[Karllake]

I wonder if the purpose was precisely to prevent a key competitor (Microsoft) from getting too big and influential on the platform. Hence the granting of special APIs to help keep them in check.

Is that apples job as the monitor of the AppStore? Feels like that if true apple is manipulating the market

 

[I7guy]

Way to miss the point. I’m was specifically asking for a lawyer’s perspective because I’m not one and my opinion on this, just like yours, doesn’t matter.

The Epic-Apple Lawsuit Probably Comes Down to One Legal Question

It’s all about how you define the market.

www.wired.com

But I would think a judge's perspective might be more valuable. However, to your point, the post is in an open forum and as such a lawyers opinion won't matter either.

 

[kronology]

How are you defining equally? If you mean everybody has access to everything, then that is entirely unrealistic.

Im sure everybody is free to request access if they’re big enough to have the contact. Doesn’t mean that they will be granted.

My employer treats people equally. Yet my boss has less access on secure systems than I do. Because he is deemed to have no reason to require the access.

The point is they should be allowed to request access from the user. We shouldn't be robbed of useful functionality by Apple's controlling tendencies. If there is an API available to anyone outside of Apple itself, it should be available to every developer.

 

[AdonisSMU]

Did Apple deny said use of those apis to other developers? Then it would be unfair.

 

[AdonisSMU]

The point is they should be allowed to request access from the user. We shouldn't be robbed of useful functionality by Apple's controlling tendencies. If there is an API available to anyone outside of Apple itself, it should be available to every developer.

It probsbly is. You realize people are just using an undocumented api. People do it all the time. This is not the bombshell you think it is. As far i know others arent banned from using it.

 

[iapplelove]

come on dude.. the point is that apple lies saying they treat every app developer equal, it's just not true - one can use special api other get banned for the same thing (eg. parental control apps). I hope apple loses agains epic, it will be good for everyone.

 

[threesixty360]

Since when did Apple become a charity or some NGO? I don’t understand any of this anymore. Do we not practise capitalism in the western world?

If you built it you own it and get to do what you want right? And if you sign whatever agreement you signed to make money that’s your business.

Apples phones could easily not sell tomorrow just like tons of other companies who were previously successful (blackberry, Nokia etc)

Did apple get to sue Adobe and MS and when their “business practises” nearly destroyed the mac?

this is all getting out of hand.
If you can’t make software that is amazing that entices companies off the Apple platform onto somewhere else then that’s your problem. Capitalism 101. Compete or go home!

 

[boss.king]

https://www.wired.com/story/epic-apple-lawsuit-one-legal-question/&usg=AOvVaw1DRjKz2afFFhNkZ6u8yN1Z

But I would think a judge's perspective might be more valuable. However, to your point, the post is in an open forum and as such a lawyers opinion won't matter either.

Your link 404s.