Court Rules Apple Can Be Sued for Monopolizing iPhone App Market

[ryanwarsaw]

If McDonald were selling 3rd party stuff yes, your example is flawed from the beginning.

If I brought in Grey Poupon to a Mcdonald's and they didn't let me put it on a Big Mac would that be what we are talking about? How does Wendy's come into play? What if I bought a Whopper and then subsequently a Big Mac and put the secret sauce from the Big Mac on the whopper?

If it stained the seats in my Porsche could I take it to any car wash?

 

[bingeciren]

Ok. That is the beauty of a non-monopolized computer world. You are free to choose any manufacturer you want after researching the pros and cons of each.

Absolutely correct. As long as a product / company offers more benefits and advantages compared to the competition, despite the deficiencies, disadvantages and complaining, consumers stay with them.

However there is a limit to all of this. Right now macOS and the Apple ecosystem is the major reason why I continue to stay with Apple.

 

[RichardF]

The problem with AppStore is not pricing, but it is their monopoly power in app reviewing. They can easily deny the publishing of certain apps, with vague or nonsense reasons. Apple is both protecting customers from malicious apps, and reserving the power of filtering apps that they simply don't like. In other words, what we see at AppStore is what Apple allowed us to see.

A walled garden.

Well of course, it's their party, why wouldn't they retain control to serve their strategic interests?

Do you remember Spotify complaining Apple was being unfair to them?
They were just trying to be loud and appeal to the nonsensical logic many hold which is for some reason Spotify should be allowed to tap into Apple's market when they bore no cost (in time, money or otherwise) to build it.

Everyone loves a shortcut (even the mental ones, or especially the mental ones).
It doesn't mean that they are entitled to it.

 

[alex0002]

The problem with AppStore is not pricing, but it is their monopoly power in app reviewing. They can easily deny the publishing of certain apps, with vague or nonsense reasons. Apple is both protecting customers from malicious apps, and reserving the power of filtering apps that they simply don't like. In other words, what we see at AppStore is what Apple allowed us to see.

A walled garden.

Or they can use it to delay an update from a competitor. e.g. Spotify.

 

[b0fh666]

i find how some ppl are ok (and even defending) such a locked model disturbing.

id rather have freedom, even if it has to be government mandated.

 

[RichardF]

Can I sue a restaurant for only letting me use their tables to eat the food they sell ?

This deserves to be posted again and again.

Some people just don't understand that if you build it you own it in a place where the rule of law exists and is enforced.
Why would your clients chose to come in and bring in your mediocre competition along with them?
And more importantly, why should you be forced to allow that to happen?

Complete nonsense.
It's the sense of entitlement which flips perceptions upside down and lowered the cultural level to the gutter.


Others can go out and build their own if they want to.
These lawyers are just wanting a handout.

 

[AnthonyHarris]

Anti competitive also has to do with apps being banned due to their content. For example, there isn't a single app containing porn. Because Apple doesn't allow it.

Not advocating for porn apps, just saying, if the content doesn't align with apple's vision, it isn't allowed. And there's no real avenue without jaikbreak to achieve it.

The fact that various levels of competition exist within a storefront does also not imply that there aren't certain anti competitive actions in place. For what it's worth itnused to be much worse. For a while (still talking hears) Apple wouldn't let apps into the store that duplicated functionality already in iOS. For example a calculator. "We already have one! Denied".

You want Apple to open up their device for other stores so you can have porn apps?

Why don't you just use Safari like normal people...

 

[bingeciren]

They should do the IOS store the same way. You have to click a few things and authorize downloads from an outside source.

Absolutely agree. This should be the main argument. The rest is irrelevant.

 

[AnthonyHarris]

i find how some ppl are ok (and even defending) such a locked model disturbing.

id rather have freedom, even if it has to be government mandated.

Buy an Android (if you don't have one already that is.)

 

[b0fh666]

This deserves to be posted again and again.

Some people just don't understand that if you build it you own it. Why would your clients chose to come in and bring in your mediocre competition along with them?

Complete nonsense.
It's the sense of entitlement which flips perceptions upside down and lowered the cultural level to the gutter.

that would be ok if they owned the phones. but i paid big bucks for it so its mine and i should be able to do whatever i want software wise. simple as that.

 

[ryanwarsaw]

i find how some ppl are ok (and even defending) such a locked model disturbing.

id rather have freedom, even if it has to be government mandated.

Agreed why anybody would want this limitation is beyond me. They should have a safe mode and expert mode. that way people that don't want to leave the sand box don't have to.

 

[RichardF]

that would be ok if they owned the phones. but i paid big bucks for it so its mine and i should be able to do whatever i want software wise. simple as that.

You paid for the actual physical object you can touch.
You bought electronics components and paid Apple a profit for their trouble/ building that object for you.

You do not own its intellectual property which protects the product and experience Apple created, built and maintains. That's the how and what you interact with on your phone. The software is licensed NOT sold to you.
That's theirs!!!!

 

[phoni]

Hmmm...speaking of a monopoly, how about the beloved ATT ?

 

[RichardF]

[...]

id rather have freedom, even if it has to be government mandated.

The irony in that sentence and way of looking at life....

 

[bingeciren]

The irony in that sentence and way of looking at life....

A lot better way of looking at life than yours IMHO.

 

[b0fh666]

kinda sad, indeed. hopefully the competition can do a better job of teaching apple the stupidity of their ways.

in the meantime, jail break will do.

 

[Jsameds]

i find how some ppl are ok (and even defending) such a locked model disturbing.

id rather have freedom, even if it has to be government mandated.

What I find disturbing is some people defending having a locked ecosystem forcefully broken open when there are other open platforms available already.

Opening up a closed ecosystem can cause all sorts of untold problems for privacy, data security and reliability - exactly the issues which are rife on Android.

 

[bingeciren]

kinda sad, indeed. hopefully the competition can do a better job of teaching apple the stupidity of their ways.

in the meantime, jail break will do.

The thing is, if people were allowed to purchase and install programs from other sources in addition to the App Store, there would be no need to jail brake.

 

[Jsameds]

kinda sad, indeed. hopefully the competition can do a better job of teaching apple the stupidity of their ways.

in the meantime, jail break will do.

My Apple ID was compromised by someone in China because I jailbroke my device. They changed the password AND the username of my account so I was completely locked out.

I almost lost 10 years worth of messages, purchases, photos and videos. Just lucky I managed to remember 2 of the 4 security questions I set up a decade ago.

I used to think jailbreaking was worth it, not anymore.

 

[pratikindia]

Is $0.99 high for those idiots ?

 

[bingeciren]

My Apple ID was compromised by someone in China because I jailbroke my device. They changed the password AND the username of my account so I was completely locked out.

I almost lost 10 years worth of messages, purchases, photos and videos. Just lucky I managed to remember 2 of the 4 security questions I set up a decade ago.

I used to think jailbreaking was worth it, not anymore.

You should have used two factor or two step verification. Then it would have been pretty much impossible to gain unauthorized access to your Apple ID

 

[chr1s60]

And it is not only about money as some make it seems, I want another burger not because it is cheaper, but because I want choices!

You have choices, pick another place that sells burgers. Go to Android or another OS. You are either wanting the same burger but from a different place, for cheaper or you are wanting the McDonalds to allow any any random vendor to come sell their burgers in McDonalds for whatever price they want.

 

[Jsameds]

You should have used two factor or two step verification. Then it would have been pretty much impossible to gain unauthorized access to your Apple ID

I have now but IIRC it wasn't even an option when my account was hacked.

 

[boethius]

This is absolute garbage. The reason why the app store exists is to keep the device secure from trojans and viruses and apps that would otherwise ruin the great (ok, better than android) experience using an iOS device. The downside is that you have a controlled environment and high standards to adhere to. Also, lower prices? I think we are talking cents on a dollar. Maybe costs could be cheaper for developers, other stores could take a lower cut? Pay in peanuts and you get monkeys... in the end even if prices would be higher for consumers, you get higher quality products in return. If you want cheap, order a malware-laden android phone from china that doesn't even come with Google Play.

*Edit: Sepelling misstaks

 

[ReneR]

You must not know what monopoly really means. Apple doesn't set the price of apps in the App Store but in the example you gave, Ford would be the price-setter, hence suspect of monopolistic behaviour.

Ok, fine, take the other provided example of only Ford licenses gasoline companies are allowed to sell your gas. Problem solved. So only good friends of Ford should be allowed to sell you the gas and Ford takes a 30% cut?

Also Apple does not allow certain things, e.g. due to JIT limitations effectible no third party JavaScript implementations are allowed. Also really useful software development things are not really possible on iOS (aside small, slow toy stuff). Due to unsigned native code execution and so on.

Not to mention regular functionally things being canned out of the store on a weekly basis. Remember this nightshift app that Apple kicked out just to implement it themselves in the next iOS update?