Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
UK Antitrust Watchdog Closes Apple App Store Investigation, Case to Be Reconsidered Under New Digital Rules Regime
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I'm sure Gruber is dressed in his USA flag outfit and typing something up right now
It probably has to be investigated under the framework of the new law including requiring a new complaint that will dictate how it is investigated and what data / evidence will be allowed.
Apple said they put additional restrictions that require the device to be physically in the territory of the EU. Supposedly, this can't be defeated by a VPN or changing a billing address.
Allow me to correct myself, technically you can sideload anywhere if you have a computer. You just need to use an app like Sideloadly.
No, because a filmmaker can distribute their movies elsewhere. Can't distribute iOS apps elsewhere.
Rolling my eyes at this flawed logic.
A film can be exclusive to Netflix, just like an App can be exclusive to iOS. As you said though, a filmmaker can distribute their movies (unless exclusive) elsewhere. A developer is not limited to developing for iOS. They can take their skills somewhere else. Web, android, windows, Commandor 64 etc.
Problem is: Apple’s ecosystem that they (Apple) paid for and developed is the most profitable. You used to find a lot of Disney shows/movies on Netflix, then Disney started Disney +. Good luck finding Disney’s stuff somewhere that isn’t Disney as a digital good.
I don’t agree with everything Apple does. Still better than how things were before 2010.
They are eroding trust right now. Every time they let politicians make design choices for their products and services is another step in eliminating my confidence in the company.
Obviously, Apple today is not Apple of 1976, which was not the Apple of 84, 97, 99, 01, 07, etc... The tragedy of the entire mess is than when Apple is legally compelled to become Google the consumer option for an alternative will have been completely removed from the market.
When all is said and done, we the people of the earth get exactly what we deserve. If we empower politicians to make our consumer choices for us, we deserve the results of those choices.
Most of this comes down to a person's opinion about what is right or wrong. But citing that the "whole world" is doing something and it is therefore correct, doesn't stand up well to history. The "whole world" have been collectively wrong about many things many times, and will be again, and again, and again...
Right. But the UK is specifically investigating apps for Apple's platforms, per the article;
Right just like I can reshoot a movie with a different cast but using the same script and title and call it the same movie. Saves what a million dollar in script fees?
In the movie case, I can distribute my movie elsewhere and then license it to Netflix. The Apple case would be more like if you couldn't distribute movies through Netflix unless you developed them exclusively for Netflix and Netflix controlled >40% of the movie market. Just because you can reshoot the movie with the same title and script elsewhere doesn't make it a good scenario.
If Apple wants to exclusively distribute Apple software through the Apple store exclusively for Apple products I'm fine with that. It's the part where they block me from accessing 3rd parties who don't want to agree to Apple's terms.
If we replace this with another scenario it sounds absolutely absurd.
The Xbox is clearly in the entertainment category while smartphones are basically essential these days. Not quite a necessity along the lines of food, shelter, etc but increasingly a requirement to access basic services. There are a lot of areas you can't even get landlines these days. Of course you can get a dumb phone or web-only phone but when governments start requiring the use of smartphone just to park, it's moved out of the entertainment category.
Not if you believe consoles should also allow alternative marketplaces. One step at a time.
Which should have happened in this announcement, not just closing it with no indication of anything having occurred in the previous 3 years!
I’m happy the EU and others stick their nose in it. Let them also look into the RAM issue… why is Apple charging 4x more for the same RAM (Apple will likely get much cheaper than consumers) than consumers can buy them from the vendor? Same for SSD. This isn’t business, this is a forced rip off by Apple.Well, that is if the EU didn’t have to stick their nose into this.............. It's simple really
100%. Apple has not been convicted of any App Store monopoly.
In what possible world is Apple's pricing of RAM and SSD upgrades an antitrust concern?!?!?! Even the staunchest DMA defenders on MacRumors concede there is significant competition in the hardware market.
No - they will allow them to change their ways and allow more competition.
Android will also be covered.
And so will iPhones on iOS, if it's distributed in the EU.
Apps on iPhone are such a category - cause unlike films or music they won't easily run on other platforms.
It costs consumers £0 to £15 to switch their video streaming subscription to Netflix.
And its costs movie distributors little to nothing to switch the video streamer for their content.
An app developer developers apps for specific computing platforms.
Releasing it for another platform than the one it was made for requires at least a porting effort.
Filmmakers do not develop and produce their films to (as a technical restriction) run on only one service or TV channel.
