[Apocryphon]

In a different world, Apple would embrace alternate app stores- by having them operate on their own terms.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32170848

Many walled gardens, growing different plants, landscaped in different styles, with different admission fees, but ultimately conforming to basic principles and paying their dues to the Apple botanical society.

Apple Authorized App Merchants.

[musicale]

Nice idea, thought it would presumably shift the dispute over platform fees to a dispute over "Apple botanical society dues."

[Apocryphon]

That is true. I wonder what the payment structure is for Apple Authorized Service Providers or Apple Authorized Resellers. The economics definitely change when it comes to software. Consider a hypothetical iOS version of F-Droid: if such a third party store doesn't charge developers to host their apps, what kind of dues do they owe upstream? Apple would still claim that F-iOS is benefiting from the app distribution APIs and security features they're providing, not to mention updates to iOS itself.

[smoldesu]

> if such a third party store doesn't charge developers to host their apps, what kind of dues do they owe upstream?

In an ideal world? Nothing. Apple builds these APIs because they want people to use them, not because they expect a return on their investment. We established that precedent when Google litigated Oracle so many years back.

Of course, Apple will claim they need whatever they can get. Their lack of candid conversation with the community is exactly why we need to respond by taking away their taxman hat.