In recent weeks , it ’s become clearer than ever that Apple ’s monopoly over the iOS grocery store want to end , for the saki of contest and society at great . This has been demonstrated by several revelations about the way Apple treats developers , and the room the caller catch its users .
( We should accent that Apple itselfrejects the ideathat it deem a monopoly . But the evidence order something different . )
First , Apple ’s lawyer in the Epic cause have made well-defined the arrogance with which the ship’s company view contender law .
The original opinion – which Apple hassuccessfully appealed , at least in part – forced it to admit in - app purchases to be made via substitute payment systems , which is exactly what Epic and Spotify have been asking for . But Apple ’s lawyer target out that this will not prevent the company from burden a charge on such dealings , so it will all come down to the technical details .
“ We would have to make out up with another system to invoice developer , which I think would be a mess,”saidApple CEO Tim Cook . What a shame !
“ Our military commission ” is what Cook send for it this outflow when he was on the witness suffer . As if Apple is evermore title to a one-tenth of whatever money is made by developer selling apps to iOS user . There are more than a billion iOS user , and it ’s essentially unimaginable for a fresh military service to prosper without access that market . But Apple will have its style .
Meanwhile , according to reports inThe Information , the US Department of Justice has step up its probe into Apple . In picky , the Justice ’s lawyer are said to be interested in Roblox , a play platform which is extremely popular among minor , and which contains thousands of dissimilar games from various developers .
Developers can make money by selling items to player for practical coin . If you think this apparatus sounds interchangeable to Xbox Cloud Gaming or Google Stadia , it ’s no wonder .
What is strange , or perhaps suspicious , is that in the thick of the ongoing case between Apple and Epic , Roblox abruptly stopped calling its games just “ games ” . Instead , they arenow name “ experiences ” . The US agency reportedly asked how “ games ” and “ experience ” differ , and why Roblox made the language change .
Perhaps Apple gave Roblox a not - so - insidious hint that it call for to stop talking about games . There was always the peril that Apple would ask to live up to its talking of treat all developers equally and put a stop to Roblox ’s activities as well .
I suppose the real cause Apple has no problem with Roblox but does n’t want Microsoft and Google ’s streaming service on the App Store ( no matter how far Microsoftbends over backwards ) is that the company is upset about losing gross from gamers . If you’re able to fiddle bountiful cabinet game on the iPhone for a manageable monthly fee , there is n’t the same incentive to liquidate money on pallid copy of mobile game . Roblox is only not a dangerous challenger – indeed , it brings in good money for Apple .
On top of this , Apple has also taken publication withSouth Korea ’s novel lawpreventing app stores from forcing developers to use their own defrayment arrangement . The fellowship argue , in fact , that it already complies with the law .
Apple never thinks it ’s in the wrong . It will continue to stubbornly fight back by any means necessary to keep its golden goose .
As I see it , there is only one way go forth to safeguard complimentary contention , prevent Apple from charging usurious rents for the prerogative of sell software system to iPhone exploiter , and ensure that innovative apps and service of process such as game cyclosis can reach the world ’s one - billion - plus iPhone user without being subject to Apple ’s whims . The App Store monopoly must be ended , and it must be possible to establish software on the iPhone from other sources , just like on the Mac .
Different Think is a hebdomadal tower , bring out every Tuesday , in which Macworld writers expose their less mainstream ruling to public scrutiny . This article originally appeared onMacworld Sweden . Translation ( usingDeepL ) by David Price .
