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Apple's Contracts With European iPhone Carriers Examined for Potential Antitrust Issues
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In all honesty as much bashing of American good and companies that Euros do I only ever recall buying 3 things that came from Europe. A Miele washer and dryer, a car, and a Suunto watch. Europe produces high quality goods, but they seem to have a lot less impact on our economy and daily lives than we have on them. Is that why all the bitterness?
The antitrust laws in the US and the EU are actually quite similar, but the EU is more consistent in applying them. All of which is a bit beside the point, since the vast majority of people in both places don't understand antitrust laws, and many will automatically assume that any antitrust investigation of any company they like is abusive.
I can't speak for the rest of the EU, but try walking into a phone shop to buy an iPhone in the UK. Who ever is serving you will typically promote every phone under the sun over the iPhone, and try their hardest to push you towards some sort of android device.
I work for a telecoms company, and the mobioe guys will actively try and tell you that the iPhone isn't a business device, or make some crap up to push an Android or a Bkackberry
I'm not seeing where the anti competitive behaviour is on the high street at least. And for every iPhone promotion, you'll see exactly the same deal for a competing brand. And haven't we seen just how big the margins are on Samsung's S4 device, and all for a piece of plastic.
I work for a telecoms company, and the mobioe guys will actively try and tell you that the iPhone isn't a business device, or make some crap up to push an Android or a Bkackberry
I'm not seeing where the anti competitive behaviour is on the high street at least. And for every iPhone promotion, you'll see exactly the same deal for a competing brand. And haven't we seen just how big the margins are on Samsung's S4 device, and all for a piece of plastic.
But how would they prove market power when Apple doesn't even hold a majority of the phone market, or even the smartphone market?
They have the lion's share of the market's profitability, yes, but since when is that a measurable factor in determining anti-competitive measures?
irmongoose
So much for "Apple is reporting actual sales, everyone else only reports shipments". No wonder when they're shoving X number of iPhones down the carriers throats, consider them sold and don't care if the carrier manages to actually sell all of them to customers or have to give them away for free during future generations. Seems like the real difference between Apple's "sales" and everyone elses "shipments" is that "the others" can be forced to take back surplus while Apple says "sorry, you bought it" and leaves the carrier stuck with the surplus.
Thankfully, the free market is regulated because otherwise it would become pure anarchy and collapse. Regulations are used to keep competition at a healthy level that primarily benefits the consumer. If one player in the free market grows too powerful the regulations make sure it wont be able to hold the rest of the market for ransom at gunpoint.
In this case the "offeree" is at a severe disadvantage beacuse the rejection of the offer would be financial suicide.
To put it simple:
Don Apple: "I'm going to give you an offer you can't refuse"
Unlike the US, you mean?
Thankfully, the free market is regulated because otherwise it would become pure anarchy and collapse. Regulations are used to keep competition at a healthy level that primarily benefits the consumer. If one player in the free market grows too powerful the regulations make sure it wont be able to hold the rest of the market for ransom at gunpoint.
In this case the "offeree" is at a severe disadvantage beacuse the rejection of the offer would be financial suicide.
To put it simple:
Don Apple: "I'm going to give you an offer you can't refuse"
Unlike the US, you mean?
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Like no one saw this one coming? This can be VERY serious for Apple, if theirs ONE thing the EU hates above all else it's monopoly's and for good reason. They have even recently again fined Microsoft for a 'technical' issue that prevented other browsers then Internet Explorer being used, and that was linked to the absolute ripping them to pieces the EU did before due to the monopoly MS did with IE, in fact in this most recent fine MS just paid it, didn't say a word, just paid it as they know what will happen if they don't.
All Apple fans best pray Apple aren't officially investigated and found guilty as the EU will punish them very hard, they are in no way scared of some giant American corporation as already proven.
All Apple fans best pray Apple aren't officially investigated and found guilty as the EU will punish them very hard, they are in no way scared of some giant American corporation as already proven.
There's no fixed market share test for market power. It's about what a company can accomplish in their market to control prices for goods that they would be unable to do in a more competitive market. In this case I think the suspicion is raised when it appears that Apple may be extracting terms from their customers that other suppliers cannot. This isn't anticompetitive by definition, but it does walk like a duck, so it isn't surprising that it has attracted the attention of the regulators.
And I am glad you don't live here
No one is above the law, surely not Apple.
Seems like MacRumors has the highest concentration of EU regulations experts from the USA , I'm impressed
Ridiculous, last time I checked, Ive is still a British citizen and definitely not an American. I don't see how living and working for an American corporation makes an individual American. In that case, millions of illegal immigrants in the US are American
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Me too. I think eventually we will turn our phones on for the first time and get asked what browser we want from a huge selection. Could be interesting.
My guess is that since iphones still represent only a small percentage of the overall phone market, it doesn't count as a monopoly. At least, it is nowhere as bad as the stranglehold Windows had.
Or maybe they simply don't view the impact of smartphones in the same light as desktop OS?
They"ve been at with every company trying to do business there. One wonders if this isnt europes new way to finance all of their bailouts.
Oh poor Americans, the entire planet wants their money, boo
What money? The last I checked our ledger is bleeding red :/
Like logic or being objective?
Sturgeon's Law: 90% of everything is crap. That's my logic. And I don't see what's not objective about it.
Judging from the fact that there is no mac in macrumors anymore is reason enough to ditch this site. Even Worse is the constant unmoderated bullying of Apple fans by Fandroids... Covert or not, this place is no longer a good place for anything Apple enthusiast related.
Per Walmart's website, that number is not counting ASDA but you are from there so you may know better than me.
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Per this website: http://corporate.walmart.com/our-story/locations/united-kingdom (scroll down towards the bottom) It has separate numbers for total and ASDA.
Your pretty sad at maths aren't you, let alone reading.
Supercenter32
Asda Superstore314
Asda Living32
Asda Petrol Filling Station1
Asda Supermarket186
Guess what all that adds up too? 565 it's magical!
Because it isn't about monopoly, it's about abuse of market power. This is the single, most important thing people need to understand if they are to discuss antitrust law enforcement intelligently. Most people do not understand this concept, which is why these discussions always turn into exchanges of rants of an ideological or cultural nature.
Exactly, people forgets than you don't have to be a monopoly to be accused of anti competitive practices