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I don't see a problem here. Apple charges (and is able to charge) a lot for an iPhone in large part because the iPhone gives the purchaser access to the App Store. But they also bundle a payment service into the app store, force developers to use it whether they want to or not, then charge a very hefty premium for it as well. Obviously Apple likes being able to charge a hefty premium to both sides - why wouldn't they? But there's no obvious moral reason why we, as a society, should let them, nor any obvious empirical reason why we wouldn't collectively be better off if we stopped them. Nothing stops Apple from charging a competitive rate for payments, or for download bandwidth, or for app reviews, or for offering various plans or bundles of these services. Apple should be more than capable of making the best iOS app store! "$500 per submission and $1 per 10k app downloads, first 1m downloads free for new apps, download fees waived for apps from non-profits, charities, and students are registered educational institutions, ask us about our payment plans, starting at a 15% cut of all revenue, discounts for high volume apps available, all payment plans come with free submissions and downloads!" Sure, why not? But the more they create a single bundle or services, and the more they use non-market power to force people into accepting the bundle, and prevent anyone from offering a competing bundle of services, the worse it looks for them. > I don't agree with this but I think it would be a good argument by Apple. The argument is basically "if you stop us from forcing developers to give us more money, then we'll have less money". And IF Apple is abusing their market dominance to extract money from developers, then that would be a terrible argument for them to make, because the entire point of all this is to stop them forcing developers to give them "unearned" money. Rather than a defence, this would just be admitting the court had stumbled across the correct target. Now, personally, I'm not entirely sure I agree that Apple is abusing their market dominance and should be stopped. But if you do think that, then "this would cost them money" is an argument in favour of the policy. (Conversely if you don't think that, then it's all irrelevant, because Apple can do what they like.) |