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The solution isn't hoping the free market would solve this with a competing platform. The solution is to create regulations & laws that prevent this behavior. You're either a platform/retailer or you're a manufacturer. You don't get to be both because we see the perverse incentive that happens when it's allowed.
I thought this was common knowledge. Don’t the chains like Walmart do the exact same things?
This is part of the reason systems like the patent system were created for inventions: to encourage people to bother exploring risky unknown spaces to develop inventions by granting them essentially a short term monopoly to harvest their reward which they would then compete against after a time period so society could further benefit from their finding by allowing competition to drive prices down and iterate on those inventions.
Obviously the patent system doesn't really serve this purpose anymore like so many systems that have been sidestepped/bypassed, changed through regulatory capture and corrupted by pure profit seeking behaviors.
Amazon is able to snoop on all the sales data without any risk.
why marketplaces are able to compete with their sellers is beyond me.
Why sellers would use a market place that is obviously going to compete with them is beyond me.
They're the only game in town at this point.
I thought this was common knowledge. Don’t the chains like Walmart do the exact same things?
why marketplaces are able to compete with their sellers is beyond me.
[1] https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/amazon-doesnt-just...
Of course they do. Like everybody else. Who doesn't do market research?
Some companies foster cordial relationships with their partners by staying strictly in their lane. For example, ARM licenses CPU core designs to chip manufacturers, but they don't make their own chips, as doing so would turn their customers into their competitors. Businesses like contract manufacturers are similar - Foxconn wouldn't start making their own smartphone. Of course, not every company takes that approach.
Of course they do. Like everybody else. Who doesn't do market research?
Some companies foster cordial relationships with their partners by staying strictly in their lane. For example, ARM licenses CPU core designs to chip manufacturers, but they don't make their own chips, as doing so would turn their customers into their competitors. Businesses like contract manufacturers are similar - Foxconn wouldn't start making their own smartphone. Of course, not every company takes that approach.
That happens to be ARM's business model at the moment. It isn't guaranteed to be their model tomorrow, nor are they doing it be friends with partners.
The solution isn't hoping the free market would solve this with a competing platform. The solution is to create regulations & laws that prevent this behavior. You're either a platform/retailer or you're a manufacturer. You don't get to be both because we see the perverse incentive that happens when it's allowed.
*just noticed I was down voted, likely by MichaelApproved because he has 7500 Karma and I only have 156.
I'm starting to really hate contributing to HackerNews discussions because it's fully of a bunch of bullies who pound on your karma if you don't agree with their viewpoints. Bring on the downvotes, I know HN hates any mention of it's imperfections as well. At least my conscious is clear.