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Apple apologizes to WordPress, won’t force the free app to add purchases

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Re: Apple apologizes to WordPress, won’t force the free app to add purchases

#121

Post by jonas21 »

7tsfmCAusrQ wrote: post #36

As an app developer myself, with apps on both the Google Play Store and the App Store with over 250K monthly active users, I have become so frustrated with Apple's arbitrary and capricious enforcement of its App Store regulations, its bullying and coercion of developers, its extortionate fees, and its monopolistic anti-competitive practices, that I have stopped updating my apps on the App Store. I wonder how many oth…

I'm an independent app developer too, and I share your frustrations. Sometimes I wish I had the luxury of walking away from the App Store -- but with ~80% of my revenue coming from iOS, I can't do that.

Similarly, I can't give up on owning a Mac because you need one to develop for iOS.

On one hand, it's super annoying whenever Apple rejects an update for some arbitrary reason. But on the other hand, making a living by writing and selling my own apps has been a dream of mine pretty much forever -- and something that I didn't think would be possible before the app stores came along.

Re: Apple apologizes to WordPress, won’t force the free app to add purchases

#122

Post by klyrs »

scarface74 wrote: post #110
glerk wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is that how the law works?Apple is not a monopoly because you can choose Android. This is an awesome loophole. Visa is not a monopoly because there is also MasterCard. At&t is not a monopoly because you can choose Comcast.

It’s a “loophole” that it isn’t a monopoly because you have a choice? That’s kind of a the definition of a mono poly. It’s even in the first two syllables of the word.... I love my choice of AT&T over Comcast. $70 all fees included gigabit up and down.

Your argument is based on a lay-definition and not a legal definition. It's good to know your etymology, but that doesn't get far in court. From the wikipedia article on us antitrust law:

> When enterprises are not under public ownership, and where regulation does not foreclose the application of antitrust law, two requirements must be shown for the offense of monopolization. First, the alleged monopolist must possess sufficient power in an accurately defined market for its products or services. Second, the monopolist must have used its power in a prohibited way. The categories of prohibited conduct are not closed, and are contested in theory. Historically they have been held to include exclusive dealing, price discrimination, refusing to supply an essential facility, product tying and predatory pricing.

Apple is exercising exclusive control over the market of apps made for the phones they make, so it looks to me like they satisfy the first requirement. The second requirement is murkier, but several of the examples listed sound quite similar to how apple operates its store. IANAL but the more I read about their behavior, the more I become convinced of their monopoly status. Having a monopoly is not a crime. Abusing monopoly power is.

Re: Apple apologizes to WordPress, won’t force the free app to add purchases

#123

Post by Razengan »

7tsfmCAusrQ wrote: post #36

As an app developer myself, with apps on both the Google Play Store and the App Store with over 250K monthly active users, I have become so frustrated with Apple's arbitrary and capricious enforcement of its App Store regulations, its bullying and coercion of developers, its extortionate fees, and its monopolistic anti-competitive practices, that I have stopped updating my apps on the App Store. I wonder how many oth…

> It used to be that my apps made more money on Apple devices, but now I actually make more on Android.

Which apps are those? Genuinely interested in seeing the numbers.

Re: Apple apologizes to WordPress, won’t force the free app to add purchases

#124

Post by tomnipotent »

7tsfmCAusrQ wrote: post #116
axlee wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How does developing for iOS impacts your personal choice of phone hardware? I develop windows and MacOS software, but I am running Fedora.

It's not really practical to develop apps for iOS without owning an iPhone. Yes, there is a simulator available which you can run on Mac OS in a VM or on a Hackintosh, but you still will need a real device at the end of the day. Certain features like in-app purchases can only be tested on real devices. Furthermore, the App Review Board has the power to reject your app at any time until you provide them with a demonst…

> It's not really practical to develop apps for iOS without owning an iPhone

This applies to all platforms. I wouldn't want to do business with a developer that doesn't own the device they're developing for, we learned that lesson with Blackberry thank you.

Re: Apple apologizes to WordPress, won’t force the free app to add purchases

#125

Post by xwdv »

ifmpx wrote: post #87
thenewwazoo wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My “freedom” is mine to trade, thanks. It’s not an excuse, it’s an informed choice.

But others' freedoms aren't. Apple shouldn't be allowed to have this much control.

Imagine having freedom and then making the wrong choices with it.

Re: Apple apologizes to WordPress, won’t force the free app to add purchases

#126

Post by scarface74 »

klyrs wrote: post #122
scarface74 wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s a “loophole” that it isn’t a monopoly because you have a choice? That’s kind of a the definition of a mono poly. It’s even in the first two syllables of the word.... I love my choice of AT&T over Comcast. $70 all fees included gigabit up and down.

Your argument is based on a lay-definition and not a legal definition. It's good to know your etymology, but that doesn't get far in court. From the wikipedia article on us antitrust law: > When enterprises are not under public ownership, and where regulation does not foreclose the application of antitrust law, two requirements must be shown for the offense of monopolization. First, the alleged monopolist must posses…

>Your argument is based on a lay definition and not a legal definition..,From the wikipedia article on us antitrust law:

I’m going to let that sit right there.

Re: Apple apologizes to WordPress, won’t force the free app to add purchases

#127

Post by 7tsfmCAusrQ »

scarface74 wrote: post #96
rubber_duck wrote: post #5

Really at this point Apple control over app store is anti-competitive (and Google over play store), having to rely on community outrage to get stuff like this turned is ridiculous. They should create legislation to control access to all app stores to prevent this rent seeking - force app stores to treat all apps equally according to store defined guidelines (including store owners apps) - any submissions have to be r…

No business treats all users equally. Businesses make deals with other businesses all the time. Look up “no duty to deal”.

The difference is, they don't then lie to the public and to Congress about it, as Apple and Tim Cook have now done.

Re: Apple apologizes to WordPress, won’t force the free app to add purchases

#128

Post by scarface74 »

7tsfmCAusrQ wrote: post #127
scarface74 wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No business treats all users equally. Businesses make deals with other businesses all the time. Look up “no duty to deal”.

The difference is, they don't then lie to the public and to Congress about it, as Apple and Tim Cook have now done.

So now you expect Congress to force Apple to sell you an iPad at the same price it sells to a corporation that buys 1000s? Of course Apple is going to make a deal with Amazon when Amazon can offer it another sales channel.

Re: Apple apologizes to WordPress, won’t force the free app to add purchases

#129

Post by [deleted] »

scarface74 wrote: post #90
klyrs wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I'm pretty sure that will have massive opposition, because they are deathly scared of opening their devices back to the general-purpose computers they actually are. Who's the opposition coming from? Apple? They can fart around and waste time and money on appeals, but if they get hit with an antitrust ruling there isn't much they'll be able to do about it.

So tell me again when an “antitrust” ruling has ever been applied to a company with less than 50%?

[deleted]

Re: Apple apologizes to WordPress, won’t force the free app to add purchases

#130

Post by city41 »

cageface wrote: post #62
7tsfmCAusrQ wrote: post #36

As an app developer myself, with apps on both the Google Play Store and the App Store with over 250K monthly active users, I have become so frustrated with Apple's arbitrary and capricious enforcement of its App Store regulations, its bullying and coercion of developers, its extortionate fees, and its monopolistic anti-competitive practices, that I have stopped updating my apps on the App Store. I wonder how many oth…

Getting out of iOS dev was the best career decision I’ve ever made. My baseline level of stress and frustration has plummeted. I also enjoy using my Samsung Note much more than I ever did any iPhone. It feels like the training wheels have been taken off my phone. As developers I think we should all do what we can to nurture the open web. It’s the last truly developer friendly platform.

Apple more than anyone is hostile to the web. I still have a recurring iCloud charge I tried to cancel today. But I literally can't as it's not doable on any Apple website. You must use an Apple device or iTunes, neither of which I have.
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