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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

#811

Post by cageface »

kerng wrote: post #808
cageface wrote: post #802

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The key difference at that time was that Microsoft had zero real competition and was stifling innovation in the OS and web space. Instead today Android is the only alternative to the most proprietary and richest company in the history of computing, which needs no legal remedies or special favors.

Android has something like 85-90% marketshare - not different then Windows back in the day. Google bundling their Search with it is just pushing their own agenda.

Yet still most people develop for iOS first and then later port to Android, if at all. It's really not a comparable situation at all.

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

#813

Post by kajecounterhack »

kerng wrote: post #808
cageface wrote: post #802

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The key difference at that time was that Microsoft had zero real competition and was stifling innovation in the OS and web space. Instead today Android is the only alternative to the most proprietary and richest company in the history of computing, which needs no legal remedies or special favors.

Android has something like 85-90% marketshare - not different then Windows back in the day. Google bundling their Search with it is just pushing their own agenda.

> Android has something like 85-90% marketshare

http://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/mobile/united-stat...

I was surprised by this figure, but it doesn't look true based on cursory google search?

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

#814

Post by kerng »

swebs wrote: post #535
philipodonnell wrote: post #451

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also Internet Explorer. This case seems almost a mirror of MS except in the phone space instead of PC. Only difference is that when the issue came up in Congress, MS was confrontational with regulators and Google cut some fat checks.

The other main difference it that the EU is punishing Google, while turning a blind eye to Microsoft's behavior. They were only fined for bundling IE and WMP with their OS. Locking customers out of competing operating systems is much more harmful in my opinion. The only EU mention of Windows bundling I can find is an Italian court ordering that customers should be able to get a refund for the Windows tax.

They were also forced to offer choice with browsers, had a regression and paid a giant fine just a few years back.

Besides the fine maybe Google should also be forcing existing installs to provide a choice?

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

#815

Post by dvogel »

cageface wrote: post #804
pergadad wrote: post #797

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

Why would Google continue to license Android to Samsung when it can no longer make any revenue from Samsung phones? At that point it would only make sense for them to throw all their efforts into Pixel and catch up as best they can.

They would negotiate different licensing terms that require the licensee to risk their own capital on a bet that the consumer wants android devices with all of the associated Google services. That would be different from their current position of essentially paying for Google services with an in-kind payment of non-competition.

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

#816

Post by jhasse »

joshuamorton wrote: post #594
jhasse wrote: post #578

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's the same argument as with Microsoft vs. the EU regarding IE: Defaults are important when you have a monopoly.

I'm pretty sure that an important part of the Microsoft argument was that you couldn't uninstall ie and it was used by certain system functions even if you set a different default. That's an important distinction. (Im a Googler, but that's not particularly relevant to this comment)

I can't uninstall Chrome on my LG Android phone either.

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

#817

Post by bitmapbrother »

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…

>If Google "stopped licensing Android", most OEMs would fork it at least initiating.

Every OEM release of Android is forked so your statement doesn't make sense.

>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.

Google doesn't need to confine their OS to just Pixel devices. They can also work with any OEM that wants to ship the Google version of Android and GMS - (Nokia, Motorola, etc). Given a choice, consumers would easily choose a phone running Android with GMS over any other non iOS device. Furthermore, Google could also close source Android and not continue to give Samsung a free OS to cake their services on. The decline of Samsung as they scramble to make Tizen their only smartphone OS would be entertaining to watch.

>And without the big Android bully in the picture, it's likely new Linux-based OSes would find a place to flourish.

Yes, just like all of those desktop Linux distributions have flourished.

>You are forgetting there are dozens of manufacturers who all have large mobile phone businesses

You mean the same ones that can't write operating systems or secure their devices?

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

#818

Post by Brakenshire »

kajecounterhack wrote: post #813
kerng wrote: post #808

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Android has something like 85-90% marketshare - not different then Windows back in the day. Google bundling their Search with it is just pushing their own agenda.

> Android has something like 85-90% marketshare http://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/mobile/united-stat... I was surprised by this figure, but it doesn't look true based on cursory google search?

That’s for the US. Change the filter to Europe and you get 74% Android, which will go up towards 90% in some national markets.

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

#819

Post by [deleted] »

GeekyBear wrote: post #607
dmix wrote: post #540

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're missing the massive point that it was also happened to be far superior to Firefox and IE when it came out... And it held the #1 spot (by far) for nearly a decade while Firefox fumbled around and IE remained IE. It's crazy to say a product only succeeded because Google pushed it hard. Google (and Microsoft, Yahoo, etc) has a LONG list of failed products they pushed hard (Wave, Google Plus, etc). Did it play a r…

Also, Google paid to have their browser installed through the installers of other companies software, by default. For instance, by default, the installer for AVG's free antivirus program would install Google Chrome and make it the default browser.

[deleted]

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

#820

Post by brainwad »

delecti wrote: post #489
brainwad wrote: post #462

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple is simply imposing such onerous terms that no OEMs can sell iOS. But because (as a result of this anti-competetive behaviour) their market share in the OS market is low, it doesn't break the law.

Not selling something isn't "such onerous terms". They're allowed to not sell their software for others to use.

Then why isn't Google allowed to not sell their software to others to use? Google doesn't want to let Amazon have the Play Store without following conditions, they should have that right.
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