Russian Lawmaker Seeks to Cap Apple's App Store Commission at 20%

[GeoStructural]

Some more details from Russian article. 1/3 mandatory payment to some non-yet-existent fund is only applied if a company chooses maximal commission rate (20%). Also Kommersant wrote that this bill is actually against Russian Civil Code's "freedom of contract" (yes, there are some freedoms claimed in Russian law). And also there is no penalty provided for violators.

General opinion is that this bill will probably not be passed (in this form at least). MPs in Russia don't have much individual power, so many bills are generated just for hype.

It is so sad to read that, I was hoping it would pass and be the first building stone for many more to come.

I do believe you should be able to install apps from any source, just like you do in your computer. I have a solution to those who disagree: Only install apps from the official App Store, end of the story for you.

 

[Red Oak]

Remember when Russia was going to create their own mobile OS, smartphones and WW services? Me neither

It is startling how little Russia does in the technology space other than its military

 

[Nuno Lopes]

Why Apple charges 30% is irrelevant. I say vote with your dollars, both devs and consumers, show Apple you won't take it anymore!

Stop with this naive fallacy. People that buy the iOS devices have no idea this is happening in the back end of their devices. Ask a teacher or a doctor if they think 30% is dipping on to devs value ... they have no idea. That is why is being investigated. It’s about leverage and market conditioning. Uncompetitive use of leverage.

PS: Actually Apple wants them to keep totally unaware of this. Just check the FB statement. If Apple wanted this to be clear they would put their 30% tax in the receipt Along with the Dev price ... oh I forgot this is a “Store” ... a “Cinema” ... whatever. It’s quite clear why they don’t like this.

 

[Internaut]

Remember when Russia was going to create their own mobile OS, smartphones and WW services? Me neither

It is startling how little Russia does in the technology space other than its military

I think partly it's about what you want to do if you're i) Russian and ii) a talented software engineer. Do you want to beat a path to Silicon Valley, where the streets are paved with gold, or do you want to take your chances in a Mafia state?

 

[cmaier]

Well, if a Russian legislator says so, must be right. Right?

 

[cocky jeremy]

Just leave Russia. You don't need them.

 

[I7guy]

Stop with this naive fallacy. People that buy the iOS devices have no idea this is happening in the back end of their devices. Ask a teacher or a doctor if they think 30% is dipping on to devs value ... they have no idea. That is why is being investigated. It’s about leverage and market conditioning.

PS: Actually Apple wants them to keep totally unaware of this.

Nonsense. Do you know the markup for every item in the supermarket? Does the supermarket want to keep it from you? Do you know the dealer profit on the cars you buy, including the hidden incentives? Only a few seem to really care out of 1B devices the way Apple manages the app store. It's absolutely irrelevant what people who are not devs think. They are not going to change their buying pattern. Yes, it should be investigated, but at the end of the day I'm guessing little will happen.

But I wonder how you would feel, it the same sentiment were applied to your income. Let those who are virtue signalling, walk the talk.

 

[Aoligei]

I'm more looking forward to sideloading apps anyway, but hey come on, 30% to cover these services is hilarious.
At least 20% of is pure revenue, or why do you think they avoid disclosing it.

Side loading is already possible, either by abusing Enterprise App Program or by emulating iTunes (If you know an app Called Aisi Helper, where essentially this App emulating app install via iTunes). Or you can use xCode.

 

[Nuno Lopes]

@I7guy

Customers changing Supermarkets does not imply ditching a 1000 dollar device they have bought. I wonder if you or any sane person would ever buy a 1000 dollar device to get into a Supermarket charging 30% on the goods on top.

There lies the hidden loop. You would need to be rich for that ... which is not the case of one in two Americans by far, by way far.

 

[Aoligei]

I wonder if all who are cheering/wanting controls on apples fees and commissions would welcome the same type of laws on their personal income; ie restricting the income that an employer has to pay an employee. An employee can then either work the remainder of the year for free or find another job. All of this let's have the government step in and control Apple is virtue signalling as no one would welcome the same controls against them earning $$$.


So in a hypothetical universe where there are 10,000 free apps in the app store and one app charges a flat one time $2.99 fee. That $2.99 pays for the other free apps?

I would favor wage control. Mandate how much top level CEO can make a year. Put celling on how much rich can make and also mandating living wage for poor.

The gap between rich and poor is widen, this would undoubtedly cause Instability. Putting cap on how much rich can make and tax them for their fair share. In the same time, we must guarantee poor make decent living wage and guarantees them not fear for bankruptcy for medical issues.

 

[Wildkraut]

Side loading is already possible, either by abusing Enterprise App Program or by emulating iTunes (If you know an app Called Aisi Helper, where essentially this App emulating app install via iTunes). Or you can use xCode.

Thats not an enduser and dev friendly method... thats bulling.

What we (alternatively) need is...

1. Web Browse to: https://www.xyz.com
2. Download: appfile.ipa
3. Touch open xyz.ipa file
4. Blah Blah Blah msg App downloaded from the internet, are you sure? -> [x] always trust and <Install>|<Cancel>
5. -> Install (App can self update using an own update framework like e.g. Sparkle)
   Happy end!

And also a way(permission wise) to let this downloaded App work as an AppStore (e.g. like Steam, Epic, Origin, PlayStore, MSStore, etc.) to download and update other Apps on your behalf.

Cheers

 

[Aoligei]

Thats not an enduser friendly method... thats bulling.

What we (alternatively) need is...

1. Web Browse to: https://www.xyz.com
2. Download: appfile.ipa
3. Touch open xyz.ipa file
4. Blah Blah Blah msg App downloaded from the internet, are you sure? -> [x] always trust and <Install>|<Cancel>
5. -> Install
6. App can self update using an own update framework like e.g. Sparkle
7. Happy end!

And also a way(permission wise) to let this downloaded App to work as AppStore like Steam, Epic, Origin, PlayStore, MSStore, etc.. to download and update other Apps on your behalf.

Cheers

You can already do that with enterprise apps. The only thing you need do is go to settings and accept the certifications. And I think these app expires within a time frame. But none the less, there is already a way to do that.

Maybe Google search AltStore.

 

[Amazing Iceman]

The outcome of this is that app prices will increase for the people in Russia. Not a good outcome.

 

[Wildkraut]

You can already do that with enterprise apps. The only thing you need do is go to settings and accept the certifications. And I think these app expires within a time frame. But none the less, there is already a way to do that.

Maybe Google search AltStore.

I know, yeah all there, they don't even need to code anything special to make this possible.
All they need to do is, remove expiration and unbundle from enterprise programm.

 

[sw1tcher]

I see this as government interfering where voting with ones dollars should be the final say. Don't like a closed ecosystem, vote with your dollars, show apple who is boss.

I take it you're against antitrust laws?

(I know this story is about Russia and not the U.S., but still...)

 

[r98266]

I prefer the safety of Apple’s walled garden/app review process.

If you don’t, jailbreak. It’s the unofficially supported way to run what you want. Sure, Apple tries to patch the holes, but there’s always a new way to do it.

If Apple opens up and allows more stores, fewer developers will use the native App Store and it will fall apart. Free apps (that remain) will need to start charging when Apple charges them for maintenance fees (storage, compute, support).

 

[I7guy]

I take it you're against antitrust laws?

(I know this story is about Russia and not the U.S., but still...)

Meaning what? They should be applied liberally, even when not warranted?

 

[whyamihere]

Apple: Прощай, Russia.

 

[Baymowe335]

So 20% is somehow magically fair?

Love how people randomly pull out round numbers and say *that* is somehow the ”fair” number.

 

[I7guy]

I would favor wage control. Mandate how much top level CEO can make a year. Put celling on how much rich can make and also mandating living wage for poor.

The gap between rich and poor is widen, this would undoubtedly cause Instability. Putting cap on how much rich can make and tax them for their fair share. In the same time, we must guarantee poor make decent living wage and guarantees them not fear for bankruptcy for medical issues.

Of course, nobody would want their income restricted because of some laws. But my musings were going beyond the CEO and to the common person so to speak.

The bottom line for all of these different things, either an app store is a monopoly irrespective of the platform or it's not. An app store is entitled to the fees the market allows it to collect. Don't like the fees, vote with your dollars or app.

 

[gnasher729]

So in a hypothetical universe where there are 10,000 free apps in the app store and one app charges a flat one time $2.99 fee. That $2.99 pays for the other free apps?

We don't live in that hypothetical universe. But in another hypothetical universe where Epic stops being greedy and makes everything that is now an in-app purchase free, Epic wouldn't pay anything to Apple.

 

[alecgold]

Nintendo, Playstation, Xbox.....why aren't they getting the same demand?

Absolutely true!
In the same line of reasoning: why is canon er al. allowed to encrypt their cartridges so I can’t reliable use third party ones?

 

[I7guy]

@I7guy

Customers changing Supermarkets does not imply ditching a 1000 dollar device they have bought. I wonder if you or any sane person would ever buy a 1000 dollar device to get into a Supermarket charging 30% on the goods on top.

There lies the hidden loop. You would need to be rich for that ... which is not the case of one in two Americans by far, by way far.

Going back to your question:

Ask a teacher or a doctor if they think 30% is dipping on to devs value ... they have no idea.

Why does this opinion even matter? In my opinion, Apple/google is entitled to charge whatever the market will bear. Let people vote with the dollars if they believe app prices are excessive due to the 30% (that is once they learn about it)

 

[gnasher729]

You already have to pay $100 to develop for Apple platforms anyway. Should that not cover the 10% difference?

$99 a year is just enough to keep the riff-raff out. It's the difference between "I'm serious about writing apps", including serious amateur, and just wanting to have a look.

But since we are thinking about it: Apple could absolutely **** Epic by dropping the 30% for any developer with a total annual revenue less than $10,000.

 

[I7guy]

We don't live in that hypothetical universe. But in another hypothetical universe where Epic stops being greedy and makes everything that is now an in-app purchase free, Epic wouldn't pay anything to Apple.

Okay. So a similar question...do the expensive meals in a restaurant pay for the cheaper meals? Sure Apple could lose big bucks by Epic releasing a totally free app. So Epic would go from paying for most of the free apps, to being a leech using apples services.