Google has disclosed to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission that Apple Inc. earlier this year did indeed reject Google’s Google Voice for iPhone app for inclusion in Apple’s iTunes App Store.
Apple told the FCC last month that it had not rejected the Google Voice for iPhone app. Instead, Apple said it is still studying the app and hasn’t yet made a decision whether to approve or reject the app.
Google’s letter to the FCC states, in part:
Apple’s representatives informed Google that the Google Voice application was rejected because Apple believed the application duplicated the core dialer functionality of the iPhone. The Apple representatives indicated that the company did not want applications that could potentially replaces such functionality… The primary points of contact between the two companies were Alan Eustace, Google Senior Vice President of Engineering & Research, and Phil Schiller, Apple Senior Vice President of Worldwide Product Marketing. On July 7, Mr. Eustace and Mr. Schiller spoke over the phone. It was during this call that Mr. Schiller informed Mr. Eustace that Apple was rejecting the Google Voice application for the reasons described above.
Read:
• Google’s letter to the FCC (.pdf) here.
• Apple’s letter to the FCC here.
• AT&T’s letter to the FCC (.pdf) here.
MacDailyNews Take: Oh, goody, somebody’s lying! We wonder if it’s corporate policy for Apple and/or Google to tape such phone calls in anticipation of just such a discrepancy?
@ Peter
well, iphone is not the monopoly of cell phones
apple is not the monopoly of computers
nobody forced to use app store or iphone
fcc doesn’t tell drug store they have to carry a certain brand of bandages or mouthwash
better said here:
http://www.derekunderwood.com/general-computer/law-does-not-support-google-and-fcc-concerns-about-the-app-store/
@Phxdoc, poor analogy, there are dozens if not hundreds of options in the cell/smart phone market. If this was a monopoly you would have a point. Apple has every right to control the experience, the make and market the whole widget, they aren’t stifling competition, they are crushing it with a better product.
Brau:
Perfect definition of a free market. Vote with your wallet
BTW: I have never seen such a whinny bunch of developers. Try working with Sony, Microsoft, or Nintendo and you will understand that Apple has created the most attainable path to a customers wallet for developers. It’s trully little risk and all reward.
Apple has truly democratized product availability.
” … since you are so fond of being a grammar nazi yourself.”
Shouldn’t “nazi” be capitalized? Just wondering.
google: here’s an idea…
find some other way to compete in the marketplace with your Google Voice and your dozens of other projects that are barely off the ground
better yet, do what you do best – search and ads
ridiculous
who’s paying the fcc to do this? nothing really to do with cell service
First, if Apple rejected the Google Voice app, then that would be evidence contradicting the idea that the two companies are colluding.
Second, we have not yet seen a transcript of that conversation (if one exists). So we do not know exactly what was said by either party.
Third, even if such a phone call actually occurred, it does not necessarily represent a formal rejection of the Google Voice app. It stands to reason that Apple would send a rejection email to any developer who submits an app that is found to be unsatisfactory for some reason. That rejection letter (or lack thereof) is the true evidence.
Fourth, the content of the phone conversation is only hearsay unless it was recorded (or is acknowledged by both parties as being a factual account). Furthermore, even if this conversation was recorded, that does not necessarily mean that the recording represents legally valid evidence.
It seems to me that the FCC could spend its time in a number of more productive ways…
@KingMe!
totally agree
who’s paying fcc to waste time with this issue?
@ Sir Gill Bates
Yeah, I think nazi is really spelled Nazi. Thanks, lol.
gapple