Is it though? I mean for me the big advantage that the rules should be relaxed are to let the open source market in. Many of these apps are free as in beer. I can’t see any clause anywhere, that exempts them from having to pay this fee after a million downloads. That’s the opposite of ‘fair enough’. Sure they can use the regular AppStore, but they they don’t often, and that’s besides what the original point of the law is about to start with.
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Apple's EU Core Technology Fee Could Bankrupt Freemium App Developers
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Sure, but nobody would want to use the Tinder app, of all things, without protection, right?
Let's hope this is the end to the freemium garbage apps that their sole reason for existence is to rip people off.
That's optimistic even for Apple given how corporations are structured. Where is the profit in accurate, useful, up-to-date reviews? I think we've all seen examples in which the most recent reviews for an app are 1 stars, but suspiciously the highlighted review is 5-star because 'users' have rated it as helpful. Seems to me like some developers might be gaming the system.
Advertising is also a massive revenue driver for Microsoft. I also expect Apple to expand this line of business very soon. Of course Ads from Apple will be much more ethical and safe 😬 ... haha.
I understood that if you want to get the new lower commissions you need to accept the new terms and this is one of the mandatory fees even if you just plan to keep your app in the App Store.
The power imbalance in that relationship is precisely why governments are getting involved with regulations.
It hurts their ability to attract users of the store if the users have to look elsewhere for products they are interested in.
It also hurts the app developer as it requires them to choose exclusive distribution through apple’s store leaving them at the mercy of apples oft-times capricious App review system.
I'm not particularly surprised that Apple is trying to introduce a poison pill to stop the largest and most profitable Freemium apps avoiding the App Store fees, but I can't really see the EU accepting it either - this fee seems likely to have a short shelf life.
It hurts the alternative store which cannot advertise that it has all the apps you will need.
It hurts the app developer by requiring exclusive distributions via Apple’s store. It hurts them as they are required to submit themselves to Apple’s app review team instead of a potentially more permissive team at another store.
I’m honestly shocked they didn’t update the law to prevent those popups from being allowed.
Apple does not have a market monopoly. That is the only thing that should be concerning regulatory bodies. How Apple runs its business, how much it charges and in what format is 100% up to them. With no monopoly you are free to get on or off the bus as you please. Don't like it, get an Android device, there are many, many excellent options out there right now.
The West is turning more and more like China every day. Business' should not be constantly interfered with by government and regulatory authorities.
No. It’s the stupidity and ignorance that never ends. This is Apple showing how ridiculous and poorly written the new EU laws are; that they CAN do this and still be within these laws.
I think it's far too early to come to this conclusion. Unless you're an expert on EU law and have studied the DMA regulation. Then I'm curious to hear your opinion.
To be honest, my knowledge about the coming proceedings is very limited. But I would be very suprised, if this is the end of this fight.
Per install per calendar year. It is not clear to me whether the installs count per user or per device, or even per install event. The latter seems odd, because I could rack up the bills for an app I don’t like by spending een hour or so installing/deinstalling said app.
This is reminding me of the licensing terms John Riccitiello tried to impose on users of the Unity game engine.
And a month later, John Riccitiello was no longer CEO of Unity.
And a month later, John Riccitiello was no longer CEO of Unity.
A vast majority of those “free” apps make money from advertisements. So if your app is worth a damn, it may get a lot of use, meaning more revenue from those ads. As has been stated many times, a disproportionate chunk of downloads are free games that flood their apps with ads and currently Apple gets nothing from that other a $99 annual developer fee. These new terms reflect a change - Apple now wants a cut of those revenues. Unfortunately, altruism gets kicked in the face.
It’s funny how most developers or users never had a problem with Apple’s AppStore or platform, but a loud-mouthed few did and sued. Now the EU writes all these new laws to “punish” big tech. And Apple writes new terms that comply with the new laws and EVERYONE is up in arms over it. It seems to me that the EU didn’t think this through. And now Apple is saying, “You wanna screw with what we had? Ok. Here you go!”
Furthermore, Apple has to protect its revenue source, otherwise it could be sued by shareholders. I know that’s an unpopular opinion, but it’s a fact and way of life for publicly owned companies.
Because I hadn't seen it mentioned so far, it's also worth pointing out that Apple requires a stand-by letter of credit of at least €1m before you can even open a store.
I suppose this, together with the €0.5 fee payable from the first download, will ultimately kneecap any free open source stores.
It will be interesting how the Commission will respond. Having to prove credit to your main competitor before you are allowed to compete with them at least sounds extremely anti-competitive.
I suppose this, together with the €0.5 fee payable from the first download, will ultimately kneecap any free open source stores.
It will be interesting how the Commission will respond. Having to prove credit to your main competitor before you are allowed to compete with them at least sounds extremely anti-competitive.
I can see Timmy now in the corner, rubbing his freshly manicured hands together like Ebenezer Scrooge, with a smile on his face like the Joker.
What we see in others is usually more a reflection of ourselves than it is them.
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What do you suggest? Wild, wild west? There will be tons of people who would go to these stores have bad experience and still blame Apple. I really don't GAF about this. Whiners will whine.