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European Commission fines Google €4.34B in Android antitrust case

europa.eu

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Re: European Commission fines Google €4.34B in Android antitrust case

#791

Post by cageface »

I'm having a really hard time figuring out what happy ending the EU has in mind here. Google stops licensing Android to OEMs and doubles down on Pixel. It takes them years to catch up to Apple's marking and distribution head start, if they ever do. Samsung goes back to Tizen, which nobody wants, and sales plummet. All the other Android OEMs disappear.

All we have left is Apple and the most expensive, proprietary and locked down platform in computing history. A single gatekeeper effectively controls the app space. Safari dictates what happens on the web. Who wins here except for the company that's already the richest in history?

Or, more likely, the EU keeps going down this road and tech companies eventually start treating it like the backward nanny state it is and wall it off.

Re: European Commission fines Google €4.34B in Android antitrust case

#792

Post by loourr »

anderber wrote: post #474
tlamponi wrote: post #417

Earlier quoted context omitted.

False. Windows isn't open source and they got quite the same reacction with the accusation of using their monopoly to manipulate users into using internet explorer, thus resulting in a windows version with an initial browser choice when starting first. I don't know how much they were fined though...

So really Apple should also get a similar fine since you can't install any other default browser or map.

It's worse than that. You can't even install windows when you buy one of their computers!

Re: European Commission fines Google €4.34B in Android antitrust case

#793

Post by bad_user »

endorphone wrote: post #571
itsmenotyou wrote: post #461

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> How is the Play Store related to the Google Seach app or to Chrome? - They're not, and the attempt to claim they are part of a mobile "suite" is the same sort of obfuscation Microsoft used when they argued a web browser (IE) was an essential part of a desktop OS. This ruling seems obvious to me.

So good of you to cut right through the nuance. But of course to an Android buyer, it is all a part of the experience with the device. They know what to expect and what is there. "he same sort of obfuscation Microsoft used when they argued a web browser" And Microsoft was right . Windows has Explorer or Edge. It still does . The EU giant fine did absolutely nothing but made them realize that cashing in big on America…

> But of course to an Android buyer, it is all a part of the experience with the device.

Only if the device is advertised as being an Android, which is a trademark that you cannot use without Google’s agreement. You can’t use anything Google related actually, besides AOSP, so I don’t see how Google can make that argument with a straight face.

And on Microsoft... they could easily block any competition just like Apple is doing on iOS. That you are able to install Firefox on it, be thankful to previous antitrust fines they got ;-)

Re: European Commission fines Google €4.34B in Android antitrust case

#794

Post by shanghaiaway »

DannyBee wrote: post #724
LolNoGenerics wrote: post #701

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So I can create an open platform and control how it is used? That doesn't make sense.

Err, no, they controlled only the people who chose to use their apps or play store. That's still open, you can do whatever you want, it's just if you want their stuff, you play by their rules.

So it's not open.

Re: European Commission fines Google €4.34B in Android antitrust case

#795

Post by ocdtrekkie »

cageface wrote: post #791

I'm having a really hard time figuring out what happy ending the EU has in mind here. Google stops licensing Android to OEMs and doubles down on Pixel. It takes them years to catch up to Apple's marking and distribution head start, if they ever do. Samsung goes back to Tizen, which nobody wants, and sales plummet. All the other Android OEMs disappear. All we have left is Apple and the most expensive, proprietary and…

This isn't a realistic scenario. If Google "stopped licensing Android", most OEMs would fork it at least initiating. Additionally, if Google were to move solely into the Pixel space, it would fail, overtaken by Samsung and other OEMs which know how to run a hardware business. Apple will continue to be a niche player because they like it that way, they aren't a threat and never have been. And without the big Android bully in the picture, it's likely new Linux-based OSes would find a place to flourish. Microsoft would probably reenter the mobile arena as well. You are forgetting there are dozens of manufacturers who all have large mobile phone businesses, and they aren't going to disappear because Google is forced to comply with the law.

There is no scenario where Apple becomes a big scary monopoly that wins everything. That's what Google is, and that's why they're being fined.

Re: European Commission fines Google €4.34B in Android antitrust case

#796

Post by bitmapbrother »

I'm glad the EU has fined Google 5 billion. It's finally going to make them reassess their Android open source strategy and hopefully come to the inevitable conclusion that open sourcing Android was a mistake. Hopefully, they don't repeat this same mistake with Fuchsia.

As for Google Mobile Services (GMS) - I believe the smart thing to do now would be to start charging OEM's, that sell phones in the EU, to license GMS at 5% of the cost of the device or $50 - whichever is lower. If OEM's don't want to use GMS they're free to ship their own services.

Re: European Commission fines Google €4.34B in Android antitrust case

#797

Post by pergadad »

cageface wrote: post #791

I'm having a really hard time figuring out what happy ending the EU has in mind here. Google stops licensing Android to OEMs and doubles down on Pixel. It takes them years to catch up to Apple's marking and distribution head start, if they ever do. Samsung goes back to Tizen, which nobody wants, and sales plummet. All the other Android OEMs disappear. All we have left is Apple and the most expensive, proprietary and…

I get the impression that you didn't read the actual article. There are three complaints all basically about the contractual conditions Google imposes, two about imposing Google search and the most interesting one about Google forcing manufacturers to choose between selling only Google's version with Play Store & Google apps or never Google's version. This forced in particular the big ones to commit fully to Google's version and companies like Samsung that might have been interested in providing a phone with Cyanogen, Lineage, etc etc simply couldn't do it.

It's a plain and simple competition case where Google was exploiting its market position "buy only from us or never from us". Your scenario doesn't make any sense whatsoever. In fact Samsung can produce Tizen phones already and still does as it's not a competing Android.

Re: European Commission fines Google €4.34B in Android antitrust case

#798

Post by stickfigure »

shanghaiaway wrote: post #794
DannyBee wrote: post #724

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Err, no, they controlled only the people who chose to use their apps or play store. That's still open, you can do whatever you want, it's just if you want their stuff, you play by their rules.

So it's not open.

It's not that complicated.

The Google apps and the app store are not open. Everything else is.

Re: European Commission fines Google €4.34B in Android antitrust case

#799

Post by kerng »

cageface wrote: post #791

I'm having a really hard time figuring out what happy ending the EU has in mind here. Google stops licensing Android to OEMs and doubles down on Pixel. It takes them years to catch up to Apple's marking and distribution head start, if they ever do. Samsung goes back to Tizen, which nobody wants, and sales plummet. All the other Android OEMs disappear. All we have left is Apple and the most expensive, proprietary and…

How about Google just allows OEM to license without preventing them to customize as they see fit best for their customers? Or allow them to build other solutions, not forcing them to do it the Google way?

Its the exact same evil business practicr Microsoft did in the 90s, surprising Google got away with it that long. But also Microsoft wasn't fined until something like 10 years later...

Re: European Commission fines Google €4.34B in Android antitrust case

#800

Post by cageface »

ocdtrekkie wrote: post #795
cageface wrote: post #791

I'm having a really hard time figuring out what happy ending the EU has in mind here. Google stops licensing Android to OEMs and doubles down on Pixel. It takes them years to catch up to Apple's marking and distribution head start, if they ever do. Samsung goes back to Tizen, which nobody wants, and sales plummet. All the other Android OEMs disappear. All we have left is Apple and the most expensive, proprietary and…

This isn't a realistic scenario. If Google "stopped licensing Android", most OEMs would fork it at least initiating. Additionally, if Google were to move solely into the Pixel space, it would fail, overtaken by Samsung and other OEMs which know how to run a hardware business. Apple will continue to be a niche player because they like it that way, they aren't a threat and never have been. And without the big Android b…

Who is going to use Android with no app store and a bunch of crappy bundled apps? The answer is nobody. Look how far Amazon has been able to push that with all their engineering and marketing muscle.

Apple is a niche player only because they clung to their margins like a bag of heroin and let cheap Android phones eat their lunch. If it weren't for Android they would have zero serious competition.

I find myself in the very odd position today of having for the first time some sympathy with the Brexiters.

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