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Apple terminates Epic Games developer account, calling it a 'threat' to iOS

techcrunch.com

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Re: Apple terminates Epic Games developer account, calling it a 'threat' to iOS

#121

Post by Jensson »

SteveNuts wrote: post #70
charcircuit wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are talking about the US's first ammendment. That doesn't exist in the EU.

>You are talking about the US's first ammendment. Then the "freedom of speech" argument is even more irrelevant, in my mind.

Companies can't fire you for unrelated speech in most of Europe, their laws doesn't protect you as much from governments but they protect speech significantly more against private corporations.

So just because US freedom of speech is limited to government doesn't mean that applies everywhere.

Re: Apple terminates Epic Games developer account, calling it a 'threat' to iOS

#122

Post by jessekv »

zshrc wrote: post #88
FirmwareBurner wrote: post #75

Feels like a mob boss sending a message. "We own this platform, we make the rules, and we don't care who you are or how big you are, you mess with us we'll terminate your account and revenue stream." C'mon EU, do something.

We own this platform, (we built this platform), we make the rules I don't see the issue with this... it's not like they're exploiting an inherited platform like Oracle with (everything), IBM with Red Hat or Broadcom with VMware.

In the EU, the EU owns the platform and makes the rules (controls and regulates markets). The question is: which platform needs the other more?

Re: Apple terminates Epic Games developer account, calling it a 'threat' to iOS

#123

Post by Jensson »

lxgr wrote: post #63
charcircuit wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are talking about the US's first ammendment. That doesn't exist in the EU.

True, but they raise a valid point in that even in the US, the government has no standing to intervene with private individuals limiting each others' speech contractually. NDAs are very much enforceable in the US.

> even in the US, the government has no standing to intervene with private individuals limiting each others' speech

In Europe the government does that though, so "even in the US" is a nonsense argument here, the US is horrible at protecting individuals rights against oppressive companies.

I am not certain about such laws that could apply to this case, but there are already plenty of laws around what you are allowed to retaliate for etc. Just like USA makes it illegal to fire based on race or to fire union organizers, it is the same principle.

Re: Apple terminates Epic Games developer account, calling it a 'threat' to iOS

#124

Post by minimaxir »

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #96
benced wrote: post #73

Even setting aside the dubious morality of Apple's rules on iOS, I feel like I'm going insane watching Apple be maximally aggressive. The EU loves regulating! There's nothing they love more! It seems supremely unwise to give them additional excuses to do something they clearly want to do anyways.

> watching Apple be maximally aggressive Sweeney allegedly tweeted that he would breach his contract with Apple. Apple reached out and asked if he was being hysterical for public display. He didn’t clarify. At that point, Epic credibly threatened breach of contract. This is a commercial dispute between multi-billion dollar companies, both of whom charge outrageous platform fees, both of whom seem to enjoy being drama…

> At that point, Epic credibly threatened breach of contract.

A threat of a breach of contract is not a breach of contract, which will be a sticking point if the EU gets involved again.

Re: Apple terminates Epic Games developer account, calling it a 'threat' to iOS

#125

Post by kyriakos »

ergonaught wrote: post #102
hellcow wrote: post #83

Clearly the recent 1.8B Euro fine the EU levied against Apple didn't send a message. Perhaps the EU needs to ratchet it up by an order of magnitude.

More likely, Apple needs to withdraw entirely from the EU and see what happens.

Apple stock price will drop. IPhone usage in EU will drop instantly. Apple revenue will be severely hit.

People will get over it switch to alternative services.

Re: Apple terminates Epic Games developer account, calling it a 'threat' to iOS

#126

Post by scottyah »

droopyEyelids wrote: post #100
s3r3nity wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Quite an authoritarian take.

Both sides are authoritarian. One is a private company with more money than most countries, one is an economic union nominally representing the people of many countries. I don't know where I fall on this issue personally, but siding with Apple is probably more authoritarian.

It's two private companies, in this case one is using their local government to try to force the other to change, in order to make more money.

Re: Apple terminates Epic Games developer account, calling it a 'threat' to iOS

#127

Post by [deleted] »

scottyah wrote: post #112
FirmwareBurner wrote: post #75

Feels like a mob boss sending a message. "We own this platform, we make the rules, and we don't care who you are or how big you are, you mess with us we'll terminate your account and revenue stream." C'mon EU, do something.

Seems more to me like someone built a beautiful walled garden where people are walking nicely, and some rowdy pirates are trying to break it down because they see a lot of money inside.

[deleted]

Re: Apple terminates Epic Games developer account, calling it a 'threat' to iOS

#129

Post by FirmwareBurner »

scottyah wrote: post #112
FirmwareBurner wrote: post #75

Feels like a mob boss sending a message. "We own this platform, we make the rules, and we don't care who you are or how big you are, you mess with us we'll terminate your account and revenue stream." C'mon EU, do something.

Seems more to me like someone built a beautiful walled garden where people are walking nicely, and some rowdy pirates are trying to break it down because they see a lot of money inside.

>someone built a beautiful walled garden where people are walking nicely

Just because you build something nice doesn't mean you can do whatever you want with it. You're still bound by the rules of the state where you operate and earn revenue.

If I build a nice house for me I still have tones of regulation how I can build it and what I can do with it, including activities inside. For example, I can't fire guns(EU) or cook meth in my house, even though it's my property and I pay taxes on it.

Tech companies for some reason think that just because they don't build with brick and mortar but with bytes instead, then somehow the local laws don't apply to them. So just because you built a nice walled garden, the state will want to make sure you don't get to screw over everyone who enters there.

Re: Apple terminates Epic Games developer account, calling it a 'threat' to iOS

#130

Post by whazor »

askonomm wrote: post #99
_fat_santa wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The key difference I see in Apple's app store business is that it's a monopolistic marketplace model. If Apple allowed an alternative to the app store then this wouldn't be an issue. Take Microsoft and Windows as an example, they have the Microsoft store which operates as a marketplace with rules but they don't get the same scrutiny because there are alternatives. Don't like what MS is doing with their app store? Fin…

But as of iOS 17.4 they do allow alternative app stores in EU.

No, you need an Apple developer account to set up an alternative marketplace.
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