Of course Europe is mad they lost the cellphone market to apple and Samsung so perhaps they are trying to create an environment where inferior European phonemakers can compete.
I'm always amazed how much the Americans have to say about EU and EU's regulations. EU and US are run differently. Both ways have advantages and disadvantages. Since I've grown up accustomed to the EU way, I always find it a better way. US is a mess, IMO. But like I said, they are run differently.
Apple(and all other companies) are forced to play by the rules of the region they want to sell their products in. I don't think it's unfair or weird at all. Then if Apple decides it's not worth the hassle to be able to sell products in EU then that's our loss.. but I still think all rules and laws of whatever region they're selling in should apply to every company.
More or less. The "CPU tax" scheme was imposed on the hardware makers. They were charged for a copy of MS-DOS (it goes back that far) for every CPU they sold, whether it was loaded with a copy of a Microsoft operating system or someone else's. However this scheme was not the basis of US v. Microsoft. They had settled with the government to stop that practice long before. Although they complied with the letter of the Consent Decree prohibiting the CPU tax, they detoured around its intent. They found news ways to strong-arm their partners into doing their bidding, and those methods were partially in play in US v. Microsoft.
True, but only as far as it goes. Antitrust laws are only partially concerned with monopolies, if only because true monopolies rarely exist. The law's principle concerns are with the formation of trusts (cartels), and with anticompetitive exercises of market power. This preliminary investigation seems to be about the latter. If the description of Apple's wholesale policy is accurate, they could very well be required to change it.
So basically, Apple has been telling the EU carriers "We offer to sell you X numbers of iPhone 5, take it or leave it."
Any business can make similar offer to another business and the "offeree" can always reject or make a counter offer. Isn't that what free economy is all about?
The EU, except for a few of its members, has been in deep **** for years.
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?
I am glad I don't live there.
America can be proud of the fact that we had Steve Jobs. Sure Ivey may have come from Britain and made some stuff too, but if you look hard enough through old patents I'm sure there is one in there of Jobs patenting Ivey. Thereby making him an American product.
I am more surprised they haven't looked at the default browser options on ios or how closed the eco system is considering how they treat Microsoft.
Does it actually hurt the Consumer setting sales targets? Doesn't sound like it to me.
Walmart would never survive in Europe.
Edit: I stand corrected, I guess they're in the UK. I was thinking in regards to their overbearing demands placed on suppliers, etc;.
I am more surprised they haven't looked at the default browser options on ios or how closed the eco system is considering how they treat Microsoft.
Does it actually hurt the Consumer setting sales targets? Doesn't sound like it to me.
Who is it that's complaining?
If it's other handset manufacturers, why don't they just go the Apple route and set up their own stores? There's no better place to sell your products than in your own stores (assuming you don't suck at designing stores. Which I guess you probably do. It's interesting how much most people suck at most things.)
The European Union has been at it with Apple a lot lately...
Oh poor Americans, the entire planet wants their money, boo![]()
Like logic or being objective?![]()
OMG - what if MR is really a covert Google site looking to put down "the man" ?
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.
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?
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.