In court on Monday, Epic Games argued that Apple purposely locks in its customers in the first day of a landmark trial with Apple over the rules of the App Store. Apple is arguing that it built the App Store and gets to set the rules — which are designed to ensure that apps are high-quality and secure.
“Epic wants us to be Android, but we don’t want to be. And our consumers don’t want that either. They want the choice,” Apple lawyer Karen Dunn said.
In Apple’s opening statement, it emphasized that its rules have helped created a vibrant ecosystem that benefits iPhone developers, with over 1.8 million apps in the App Store.
Apple said that Epic made $750 million from the App Store, implying that the trial is merely about money. Apple also said that Epic was looking at the wrong market and cannot show anticompetitive conduct in the gaming market.
Apple also defended its “walled garden” without using those terms… “Take away from the security particular to the iPhones and the bad actors have a field day. This is why Android security statistics are so much worse,” Dunn said.
MacDailyNews Take: Nobody sane wants the iPhone and iPad platforms to devolve into an Android toxic hellstew. Apple’s walled garden is a major reason why we chose iPhones and iPads over Android-based knockoffs.
When boiled down, Epic’s inane argument is akin to this:
We want to sell MacDailyNews T-shirts and mousepads in Target, using their physical stores, roof, heat, cooling, electricity, floor space, staff, parking lot, their online store, server capacity, storage, more electricity, staff, etc., but we want to keep 100% of our sales.
That’s fair, right?
Why can’t Apple make this really simple and Mic drop with a simple analogy:
Customer: “Hey, I want to buy your Ford F150, but I want a Toyota V8 in it, and Ferrari suspension.”
Dealer: “I’m sorry sir, we only sell with Ford engines and suspension. We do have options and you can use your type of phone with the car and more, but our cars and trucks, it’s really a ground up, a closed system.”
Customer: “That’s a monopoly! Closed system with limited choice!!!”
Dealer: “I’m sorry sir. You are confusing our closed ecosystem designs with a monopoly. If we owned 95% of the truck market, you might have a point. But we don’t. We don’t even own half of the market and there are dozens of other truck options on the market you can choose from if you don’t like ours, you are completely free to go get something else.”
Mic drop.
Arguing a monopoly is a joke.
Next:
Claiming Anti-trust and anti-competitive practices is also a joke. If Ford told Michelin they needed them to comply with certain specs to be included on their F150’s moving forward, would Michelin say “Ford is anti-competitive!!!” No. They comply with Fords requirements or move on without Ford. Because Ford has no monopoly it’s Michelin’s choice to play with Ford’s requirements or not participate. EPIC. This is all so stupid.
As for the commission rate, in a freedom-based market, that has no monopoly, it is INSANE to tell companies how much they can or cannot make. Yet EPIC thinks Apple should make some much smaller % off the App Store? Stupid. Utterly stupid. Go after Microsoft and Sony if that’s the case, as well… they don’t.
And EPIC what is your margin?… oh that’s right, like 5 million percent. Got it…
I hope Apple crushes these idiots. And the judge plays this fair and it all ends soon.
In fact, I hope he just throws it out in a few more days, stating their is simple no standing for any of it.
There are technical and market barriers that make iOS a market unto itself.
Apple has the only store in the iOS market.
Mike drop?
Also… Apple doesn’t own the devices or the third party Apps so they don’t have a right to censor beyond their own property.
More BS from applecynic
Can I use your electricity to run my house? Free?
We could barter an arrangement.
Does your house builder demand a cut of the profits from the electric utility?
How would you be using MY electricity, if I sold it to you already?
Nobody you say, MDN? You forget the traitor applespazznic. He wants iOS to become Android. It’s too be the cynic is just a moron though
No one would force you to buy apps outside the Apple store, proving the moron is you.