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S.Korea parliament committee votes to curb Google, Apple commission dominance

reuters.com

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Re: S.Korea parliament committee votes to curb Google, Apple commission dominance

#91

Post by JumpCrisscross »

rntksi wrote: post #31
saganus wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

'Hardware' probably

Ah. Agreed. Then let's solve the problem of printers altogether. Why let them enforce the use of only certain ink refills? Surely that also is monopolistic behaviour? In markets in SE Asia, I've seen people still use older Canon models because it allows them to fill their ink cartridges and beat the cost of having to buy official ink cartridges. Those printer still work well afterwards. A business I once consulted fo…

> Why let them enforce the use of only certain ink refills? Surely that also is monopolistic behaviour?

Who has a monopoly? Anticompetitive behaviours are legal if you aren’t a monopoly—they’re what businesses call moats.

Re: S.Korea parliament committee votes to curb Google, Apple commission dominance

#92

Post by vineyardmike »

ClumsyPilot wrote: post #4
jefftk wrote: post #3

Based on South Korean parliament records, the amendment bans app store operators with dominant market positions from forcing payment systems on content providers and "inappropriately" delaying the review of, or deleting, mobile contents from app markets. It also allows the South Korean government to require an app market operator to "prevent damage to users and protect the rights and interests of users", probe app ma…

It's clear the days of this oligopoly operating unchallanged are numbered. I dont know a single person outside of the SV bubble who is buying 'mah free market!' argument so prevalent here.

> I dont know a single person outside of the SV bubble who is buying 'mah free market!' argument so prevalent here.

No one i know outside of SV bubble has even thought about this issue at all. Most immediately say "isn't it good that apple protects people?" and gives it no more thought.

As much as businesses would love it, i think attacking apple is still a hard political sell.

Re: S.Korea parliament committee votes to curb Google, Apple commission dominance

#93

Post by 1-6 »

yuvalr1 wrote: post #19

This is a move on the right direction, and is better than nothing. However, I think that a better move is to force HW platforms (maybe starting at a certain magnitude) to let the users use any software market they desire. This way Apple and Google can continue forcing the apps on their own markets to use their payment systems and "keep the users safe", while the other markets can do whatever they like

Remember Windows K or Windows KN? These were specifically made for the Korean market in the days when Windows Media Player or Windows Messenger were blocked by the Korean FTC because of its dominant position. You'll probably see something similar to keep the Korean government happy.

Re: S.Korea parliament committee votes to curb Google, Apple commission dominance

#94

Post by sangnoir »

tooltalk wrote: post #89
pjmlp wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nope, since it is South Korea, it is obvious Samsung is at play here.

Are we talking about the same company whose CEO was paroled recently after spending much of the year in jail in South Korea?

This is slap on the wrist considering the repeated crimes (bribery, corruption) - courtesy to his position in a vitally important chaebol. Having a CEO take a 1-year hiatus while serving a prison sentence wouldn't fly at any publicly listed American company, very few private companies with independent boards would countenance that either.

Re: S.Korea parliament committee votes to curb Google, Apple commission dominance

#95

Post by int_19h »

misnome wrote: post #34
ClumsyPilot wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's clear the days of this oligopoly operating unchallanged are numbered. I dont know a single person outside of the SV bubble who is buying 'mah free market!' argument so prevalent here.

> I dont know a single person outside of the SV bubble who is buying 'mah free market!' argument so prevalent here. Most of the arguments I've seen here, that you are probably classifying under this aspersion, are probably some variant on: - This doesn't look illegal under current (US) laws - New laws to restrict this are hard to write constitutionally (in the US) - If this happens a lot of the good parts of the ecos…

That it doesn't look illegal under current laws is not because the laws as written didn't anticipate it, but rather because the laws were reinterpreted in a way that is more convenient to monopolies:

https://washingtonmonthly.com/2018/02/06/the-borking-of-amer...

So how about we just get back to the original intent of the law, for starters?

Re: S.Korea parliament committee votes to curb Google, Apple commission dominance

#96

Post by ClumsyPilot »

mullingitover wrote: post #90
sooheon wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is a country built on state-sponsored oligopoly as competitive advantage.

I think ultimately this is why Apple and Google will get off with a slap on the wrist - like Korea, Japan, et al, we have our state industries that compete in the global economy. Apple and Google are our champion competitors, and while the US wants to appear principled, we also want to crush our global competitors. There is a snowflake's chance in hell that the US is going to cripple our champions in the name of prin…

"Why would we help the non-US businesses compete with the home team?"

Because your home team is trashing your house, racketeering your businesses and pissing in your garbage bins. They harm US consumers first and foremost

Re: S.Korea parliament committee votes to curb Google, Apple commission dominance

#97

Post by pjmlp »

tooltalk wrote: post #89
pjmlp wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nope, since it is South Korea, it is obvious Samsung is at play here.

Are we talking about the same company whose CEO was paroled recently after spending much of the year in jail in South Korea?

Yep the same.

Re: S.Korea parliament committee votes to curb Google, Apple commission dominance

#98

Post by Dracophoenix »

mc32 wrote: post #42
Clewza313 wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

South Korea has been regulating its Internet with an iron fist for a long time, with dubious results. For many years, IE was de facto the only browser because the only authorized sign-in method for govt services relied on an ActiveX plugin, and to this date the functionality of eg Google Maps in Korea is crippled because laws regulating maps force all map data and associated services to be in Korea.

Perhaps if more counties required corps to house their citizens’ data locally, they would be better served. The EU is requiring this, though it EU wide, Russia, and China when it allows them to operate at all. Coca-cola needs to follow local laws, so why should Facebook or Google etc. be exempt?

Because information isn't a rival or exclusive product like soft drinks or precious metals. What you're advocating for is a Splinter-net/Great Firewall.

Re: S.Korea parliament committee votes to curb Google, Apple commission dominance

#99

Post by summerlight »

https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/8.11.21%20-%...

FYI, the US senate also prepared a bipartisan bill (Open Markets Act) to enforce big techs to allow third party payment system and app stores, which is a stronger measure (but within a reasonable level) than the proposed S.K. bill. Given the bipartisan nature of the bill this has a decent chance to pass with a slight modification.

Re: S.Korea parliament committee votes to curb Google, Apple commission dominance

#100

Post by mullingitover »

ClumsyPilot wrote: post #96
mullingitover wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think ultimately this is why Apple and Google will get off with a slap on the wrist - like Korea, Japan, et al, we have our state industries that compete in the global economy. Apple and Google are our champion competitors, and while the US wants to appear principled, we also want to crush our global competitors. There is a snowflake's chance in hell that the US is going to cripple our champions in the name of prin…

"Why would we help the non-US businesses compete with the home team?" Because your home team is trashing your house, racketeering your businesses and pissing in your garbage bins. They harm US consumers first and foremost

> They harm US consumers first and foremost

Problem is, it's hard to find these consumers who are 'harmed' and clamoring for redress of their grievances. I'm one of them and I'm actually very happy with the value delivered per dollar in the existing mobile space.

Other businesses harmed? Maybe, but if you think that Epic is going to drop their prices 30% in lockstep with a hypothetical elimination of app store fees, I have a bridge to sell you. This dream of a breakup of Google and Apple is not going to be the boon to consumers that some idealists are imagining.

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