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That's not illegal and monopolies are also not illegal in US, it is the anti-competitive behaviors that are illegal and these folks must convince the jury or judge that Apple intentionally blocked developers from competing against each other at their store. The laws do not prohibit owners from controlling their own stores, Apple has 100% ownership of their platform and are not obligated to open it up to anyone.

Unless the customers can prove that Apple does not permit developers from completing with each other, they're not going to win this one.

If they do, every single company in the US will be joining Apple on the appeal because it will break every company's rights to control their platforms.

Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo will be compel to open their platforms to alternative stores. Good luck with that.

Thank you Judge MikhailT. ;)
 
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by not letting users purchase apps from third-party sources, there was no price competition, leading to higher app prices.
How ? App developers decide the price of the app, Apple doesn't dictate the price of the app.

What next Only Apple making/Selling iPhone is anti competitive, other manufacturers should be able to make/sell iPhones ?

an app costs $xxx to develop and maintain. by taking 30% of the developers profits, Apple obviously increases the price for an App by 30%.

Also Apple still does not provide any form of "upgrade" pricing and such.
 
They created the iPhone, they created the App Store, they created the developer system. App developers agree to the terms and condition. The apps are approved for use with the iOS.

They own the entire ecosystem.

How in the hell so you sue somebody for something they developed and own 100%?

This will be an ongoing case which will cost millions and the outcome will be in favour of Apple, because of the above.

Because this is how the real world works when someone get big and powerful.
It's generally a good thing for consumers.
We had Phone, Gas, Electricity etc in the UK before it was broken up.

It would be like Microsoft blocking things, they would be told no, they have to open thing up.
 
Antitrust -- If a business charges too much for a product, it can be adjudicated as a monopolistic practice, or an intent to do same. If too little, as a restraint of trade or as unfair competition. If the same as its competitors, as collusion.

Politics used to decide private matters.

Companies are usually free to charge whatever they want for their products, provided they don't engage in illegal behavior that suppresses competing products.
 
No need to always look for Android for the rescue: Do you want your Ford SUV only run on Ford gasoline?
Huh? The majority of apps on the App Store are NOT Apple apps and Apple doesn't set the price for them.
 
Is this really so hard to understand? There are absolutely NO alternatives to buying IOS(!!!!) apps other than Apple's own app store. With the large market that Apple owns, this IS a problem for customers because there is no competition.

The comparison with IOS vs Android has abolutely nothing to do with it.

Now imagine a world where Windows applications could only be bought from Microsoft. You would be screaming havoc -- even though there are the Mac and Linux. But the fact that there are other operating systems doesn't really help the majority of Windows users, does it?

This lawsuit against Apple is long overdue.
I disagree given the clear terms from Apple for the duration of the App Store's existence. If MS were to go to a walled-garden approach tomorrow, I can understand how that might be an uncompetitive practice. Even then, they could transition over a period of years to walled-garden.
 
That's a different argument though.

Yes, Apple absolutely has a conflict of interest with their App store rules that gives anything Apple provides a competitive advantage.

But thats a different discussion all together.

Yes and No.
I have an app that mimics Siri functionality, before Siri. Apple suddenly disallows it and rolls out Siri. I can n o longer compete at any price point.
 
And Microsoft is being sued for not letting us play PlayStation games...

This has got to be the dumbest lawsuit. Apple made their product and their App store, when it was first launched everyone knew that buying an iPhone meant you had to use the App Store. Don't like it, don't buy one, that's your consumer choice.

I'm guessing we'll now see Android having to have an App Store option, for access to millions of Apps not designed for your phone...

Apple is free to develop their own distribution channel with their App store. What they are not free to do is prevent people from buying apps from alternative distribution channels.
 
Apple offers the App Store as a platform for extension to iPhone. They don't control the market or prices, which is by Developers, within that platform. The original statement will hold up in court.

This is in no way about how you can't replace Safari with Chrome in iOS, btw. I see a lot of people making it out that Apple is monopolizing the iPhone... which they kind of are, but can do legally.

They vet any App uploaded. What they do not like will be rejected, sooner than later.

Also you can not do everyone, many system tweaking things where booted quickly. Eg. the initial 3rd party night mode. And then even copied by Apple as system feature.

Also you can not use any third party JIT compiler. So that all web browser need to use Apple's JaveScript and usually WebView, virtually making all iOS browser only an UI facade,
 
You can, if you don't like apple, go elsewhere. Just like if you don't like seafood, don't eat at a place that serves seafood.

But there you jump the wrong way again.
It's about "choice", why can't i run apple and use other stores? i have multiple of every apple product this is not good for consumers.

Or maybe it's like a case of old, MS embedding IE into windows?
Why as a users can't i pick where i shop, its a very simple ask.
 
Apple purposely built the iOS ecosystem so you'd download the apps for it from their specific App Store, or just use the bundled ones that came with iOS itself. That's part of the value you get out of using an iOS product as opposed to competing products. Every app you install has been vetted by folks at Apple first who take some steps to ensure it's safe to use and meets certain standards they enforce.

Having other stores does not remove your ability to only shop at Apple's, if you so wish.

People should have the ability to decide for themselves.
 
Americans sure like to sue. It's the national pass time. And it never fails to amuse me how ludicrous some of those law suits can be.

Apple = next trillion dollar company = how can we get a piece of that.

When you're talented and successful everyone wants a piece of your a*s.
 



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A U.S. Appeals Court today ruled that App Store customers can move forward with a lawsuit claiming Apple created an illegal app monopoly because it did not allow users to purchase iPhone apps outside of the App Store, reports Reuters.

The decision reverses a 2013 ruling that dismissed the lawsuit, originally filed in 2012. The case, Pepper et al v. Apple Inc., alleges that by not letting users purchase apps from third-party sources, there was no price competition, leading to higher app prices.

When the lawsuit was originally filed, Apple requested that it be dismissed because developers, not Apple, set prices for App Store apps. Apple simply provides the platform developers use to sell apps to customers.

According to today's ruling, because iPhone users purchase the apps directly from Apple, they have the right to file a lawsuit against the company.

An attorney for the plaintiffs in the case told Reuters that the aim of the lawsuit is to allow people to shop for iPhone apps wherever they want, an outcome that's unlikely due to security implications.The Appeals Court ruling does not address the specific monopoly allegations levied at Apple and pertains only to whether or not Apple can be sued for this issue.

Article Link: Court Rules Apple Can be Sued for Monopolizi
 
No, the correct analogy would be the gasoline you're allowed to buy is not from Ford, but from a gigantic number of gasoline brands on Ford's stores. With a great amount of competition between brands.

well, ..., and Ford always getting 30% for all gas sold, ...

and if they do not like one gas or the other, because it is too blue, or smells too nicely, they just kick 'em out, ... ;-)
 
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Now imagine a world where Windows applications could only be bought from Microsoft. You would be screaming havoc

No. 99% people don't care how the software gets on their computer or portable device. They just want the software. Apple's App store makes it dead simple for users to pay for it, install it, update it, and have some confidence of quality control. It doesn't get much better than that for users.
 
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No need to always look for Android for the rescue: Do you want your Ford SUV only run on Ford gasoline?
Perhaps the best analogy is that you can only buy a new Ford vehicle at a Ford dealership. Try as you might, you cannot buy one from Ford or from anyone else. If you don't like it, buy a Chevy. Franchise laws like this have withstood antitrust scrutiny for over 100 years. Do not see a discernible difference in how applications are served up vary from that model.
 
Fantastic, just what the App Store needs - lower prices :rolleyes:

My thoughts exactly. The competition in the App store is so fierce that it's reset the general public's perception of how much the hard work of programming should cost them. $.99 if it's good and $2.99 if it's REALLY good. This has driven the popularity of the much hated freemium model in games. It's free to play, but you gotta pay and pay big if you want to win.
 
No. 99% people don't care how the software gets on their computer or portable device. They just want the software. Apple's App store makes it dead simple for users to pay for it, install it, update it, and have some confidence of quality control. It doesn't get much better than that for users.

our users had not issue to buy software license form us long before the AppStore even existed, ...heck, thanks god many still do ;-)
 
That's not illegal and monopolies are also not illegal in US, it is the anti-competitive behaviors that are illegal and these folks must convince the jury or judge that Apple intentionally blocked developers from competing against each other at their store. The laws do not prohibit owners from controlling their own stores, Apple has 100% ownership of their platform and are not obligated to open it up to anyone.

Unless the customers can prove that Apple does not permit developers from completing with each other, they're not going to win this one.

If they do, every single company in the US will be joining Apple on the appeal because it will break every company's rights to control their platforms.

Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo will be compel to open their platforms to alternative stores. Good luck with that.

The law doesn't prohibit companies from controlling their own stores - but it does prohibit them from disallowing the distribution of untied products in competing stores.
 
If that gas from Ford was optimized for Ford leading to better gas mileage and lower emissions, and was sold at market value.... then you would not agree because you support the lawsuit.

optimized for their environmental law defeat device you meant?
 
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