Apple to kill Epic’s accounts on Friday the 28th

From Epic's filing, here is an excerpt from Apple's notice listing the Developer Program features that Epic will lose access to when its membership is terminated:

    - All Apple software, SDKs, APIs, and developer tools
    - Pre-release versions of iOS, iPad OS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS
    - Pre-release versions of beta tools such as Reality Composer, Create ML, Apple Configurator, etc.
    - Notarization service for macOS apps
    - App Store Connect platform and support (for example, assistance with account transition, password reset, app name issues)
    - TestFlight
    - Access to provisioning portal for certificate generation, and provisioning profile generation
    - Ability to enable Apple services in-app (i.e. Apple Pay, CloudKit, PassKit, Music Kit, HomeKit, Push Notifications, Siri Shortcuts, Sign in with Apple, kernel extensions, FairPlay Streaming)
    - Access to Apple-issued keys for connecting to services such as MusicKit, DeviceCheck, APNs, CloudKit, Wallet
    - Access to Developer ID signing certificates and Kernel Extension signing certificates - Developer Technical Support
    - Participation in Universal App Quick Start Program, including the right to use the Developer Transition Kit (which must be returned to Apple)
    - Engineering efforts to improve hardware and software performance of Unreal Engine on Mac and iOS hardware; optimize Unreal Engine on the Mac for creative workflows, virtual sets and their CI/Build Systems; and adoption and support of ARKit features and future VR features into Unreal Engine by their XR team

The final item is very specific to Unreal Engine so it is clear that this is not simply a template e-mail and was crafted specifically for Epic. Thus we can assume that Apple legal, marketing, the executive team, etc. have pored over every line intently (despite misspelling iPadOS).

My guess is that this is intended to enumerate everything that Apple contributes to earn its 30% cut.

Epic themselves have now entered this list into the legal record, claiming that it would be incredibly damaging for them to lose access to these features. Perhaps it is now harder for them to argue that Apple's cut is excessive.

I'm curious how someone could argue that Apple's App Store rules are anticompetitve and that they should be forced to change them, while also arguing that the same doesn't apply to Tesla's media computer(s). Is it just because there are more iPhones than Teslas?

> They kinda know what they are doing or why else would so many people buy their iphones?

Or maybe it's something that people merely tolerate. Kind of like how ISPs are almost universally derided in the US for crappy service and high prices, yet everyone seems to be paying for their serivece. If you asked people when they're buying an iphone whether they want 30% of app and in-app purchases to go to apple, with no way around it, how much % of them would say yes?

Some sites have big scary warnings if you try to open the dev console in the page for this reason. I don't know how well that works though.

We can put all the warnings on bleach we want, someone out there is still going to drink it.

FWIW I personally don't.

However, I see the argument to be made that in selling a Mac or an iPhone, you're being sold a general-purpose computing device with explicit value added by third-party software vendors. Also, on macOS, you were sold the explicit ability to run whatever software you want. It's purpose is to run software from third-parties.

When you bought a Tesla, that wasn't how the car was represented to you. It's purpose is to drive, and yeah it's got a sweet big screen that happens to run apps, but that's ancillary.

Legally, I think that matters. From a free-software perspective, I agree, I would also like to run whatever I want on my car.