You can launch whatever you want, sure. My business powers 6000+ independent self-hosted social networks.
AFAIK (INAL): The US rules involved do allow one to grow (naturally) and create a monopoly (real one or a de-facto one). What's not allowed is to either "cheat" by buying competitors once you're a huge player in a market
One of the most recent ones I can think of is DarkSky. Apple bought it then basically told Android users sorry not sorry you're out of luck. With a high profile weather app purchase like that, Apple is hoping iOS users will use it as the stock weather app and stop purchasing third party weather apps.
I’m not sure now whether you are joking or not. Are you really comparing the acquisition of dark sky to that of Instagram and WhatsApp by the largest social media platform?
Its called anti-trust (in the USA) and, yes, monopolies can have competitors.
The *only*?
Who's comparing anything? I wasn't asked to compare anything. I was asked a question about a purchase Apple made to dissuade competition. The acquisition of Dark sky perfectly fits that question. If Apple incorporates all the rich features of Dark Sky into its default weather app; users will have very little incentive to purchase third party weather apps. Try to keep up. Thanks
Please point out how I am wrong. I was asked to name a company Apple purchased to limit competition. How does Apple buying a weather app which will have the effect of users not needing to purchase additional third party weather apps not fit the question? I know it doesn't fit your agenda, but it's still facts. Facts are Apple purchases companies all the time probably more than any rival out there. They use those purchases to better their own apps and services and limit competition. Facts. Maybe not the facts you want, but facts nonetheless.
Ok now I see. What you are saying is Apple can buy any company it wants and limit all the competition as long as it doesn't buy a major player on the same scale as Facebook. It's ok to put small companies out of businesses by limiting competition, just don't do it to big companies. Got it. And this is not all just speculation. I read an article a while back about a bunch of smaller weather companies whose sales went way down after the purchase and were worried about their future viability. Not to mention all the Android users who bought Dark Sky and were left out to dry by Apple.
Whether Apple is behaving anticompetitively, especially as it relates to iOS and its derivative platforms, is a valid legal question that will likely take years to work its way through courts, regulators, and if necessary, Congress. That question is, as you can imagine, not as simple as “are they buying competitors.”
It’s about distorting the market rather than putting people out of business. I think maybe this is where your misunderstanding is arising.
So when Apple buys Dark Sky and incorporates all the features into its stock, default, and free weather app does that not distort the market such to where users have no incentive to purchase third party weather apps because Apple bought presumably the best one on the market and incorporated the features into its default weather app? The distortion comes into play as from that point on there will be no other company trying to develop a weather app on the iOS platform as there is no need now. Thus limiting present and future competition.
The technological barriers are low.
If you want to get into an interesting antitrust angle re: Apple’s acquisition of Dark Sky, this is pointless. You might have something based on their discontinuation of the Dark Sky API.
The entire point of it was that Apple buys companies all the time. Those purchases have effects like putting other companies out of business. I don't have any idea if Apple wants to limit competition from weather apps, nor do I care. I'm just pointing out Apple is no different than Facebook, just as Facebook is no different than Google. They are for profit companies in a capitalist society. All companies will do nearly anything to thrive and survive. Apple is no different. I think all companies need oversight, including Apple. Especially companies who net worth is over a trillion dollars. Oversight is a good thing, not just for other companies but for Apple too. Dark Sky was just the most recent acquisition I could think of without doing a lot of research.How Dark Sky users can use the Apple Weather app - Apple Support
Dark Sky’s features have been integrated into Apple Weather. Apple Weather offers hyperlocal forecasts for your current location, including next-hour precipitation, hourly forecasts for the next 10 days, high-resolution radar, and notifications.darksky.net
Safari and Chrome didn’t put the weather app industry out of business, neither will the acquisition of Dark Sky by Apple.
For the record, I don’t think buying Instagram and WhatsApp were that big a deal either. But harping on something as insignificant as a minor weather app that you just happen to like is silly.
Dark Sky is public data run through AI. This won’t be the last time we see it.
I don't like politics, but if you think Biden will make it better, then think again. Democrats are all about breaking big companies up. Not saying I agree with or disagree with Biden--just stating that Democrats are known to be anti big business.
