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Developer Blames Apple For Ruining eBook Business

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the start-pointing-fingers dept.

An anonymous reader writes "A bookseller and app developer has blamed Apple for writing its final chapter, claiming the iPad maker had pushed it out of business. 'Apple has made it completely impossible for anyone but Apple to make a profit selling contemporary ebooks on any iOS device,' BeamItDown said. 'We bet everything on Apple and iOS and then Apple killed us by changing the rules in the middle of the game.' The company blamed Apple's decision to impose a 30% commission on books sold through apps for the unhappy ending."

9 of 660 comments (clear)

  1. Business 101 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Well, that's why you don't put all of your apples in one basket (pun intended).

    1. Re:Business 101 by jdgeorge · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The lesson here it that Apple has become the Wal-Mart of software and services. The application and content developers who make money via Apple's presence do so only to the extent that it generates as much revenue for Apple as Apple desires. If your business model can't withstand Apple's requirements, your business will fail.

      In other words, betting your business on Apple make a lot of sense, if you're Apple. Anyone else, maybe not so much.

    2. Re:Business 101 by Kreigaffe · · Score: 5, Insightful

      This really should come as no surprise to anyone at all.

      This is Apple. This is what they do. This has been their form of business for, what, 30 years? If you are not Apple, do not trust Apple, do not rely on Apple, Apple is only, ONLY, interested in Apple, and has never hesitated to lock down their platform and squeeze dry anyone not Apple trying to do business on their platform.

      I mean for the love of god Apple driving out non-Apple products from their platform was one of The Big Reasons why Apple nearly closed it doors, why it fell apart in the 80s/90s. It was the open platform of the IBM-compatible PC (lol, anachronistic terms!) where anyone could write and sell their own program that allowed it to flourish, when doing the same on the Apple platform would.. wait for it.. drumroll please.... reduce profits to absolutely nothing due to Apple's onerous licensing fees!

      I mean really people, I feel bad for any company failing that is just trying to make an honest living, but there is such a thing as a deserved death. It's not like Apple has ever, ever, EVER turned a new leaf. This has been how Apple operates for DECADES. You've gotta be a special kind of idiot to put your faith and livelihood in a company that has, time and time again, bitten the hand of anyone not Apple trying to make money on an Apple product. THAT IS APPLE!

      --
      ... still waiting for this free-as-in-beer free beer I keep hearing about. :|
  2. Darth Jobs sez by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    "I have altered the deal. Pray I do not alter it further."

  3. Spinal Tap by snspdaarf · · Score: 5, Funny

    His eBook goes to (Chapter) 11?

    --
    Why, without your clothes, you're naked, Miss Dudley!
  4. Re:Your poor business decisions are not Apple's fa by Timmmm · · Score: 5, Insightful

    True, but would you really expect Apple to explicitly say "you are not allow to make any profit selling books on our platform"? From TFA:

    * You must sell books from major publishers at the same price as Apple does.
    * Those publishers must give you exactly 30% commission.
    * iOS booksellers have to give 30% of their revenue to Apple.

    Hence enforced 0% profit margin. I don't think you can blame them for thinking that Apple would never go quite *that* far. Of course they should have diversified to Android *anyway*...

  5. All he is doing is issuing a warning by Attila+Dimedici · · Score: 5, Insightful

    While I do not feel bad for the guy, all he is doing is issuing a warning to other companies that are considering doing business with Apple or on IOS devices. This particular business made a bad decision that a little bit of observation of past behavior would have told them would end in tears. However, the point he is making is that Apple encouraged them to develop this market and business strategy, while Apple was already planning to cut the supports out from under it if the business was successful. Apple basically encouraged another business to take the risk of developing a market that Apple intended to steal if it worked out.

    --
    The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted. James Madison
  6. The Apple Advantage by Bobfrankly1 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    They invested significantly in Apple, had a *slightly* profitable business going. Then Apple effectively goes into "price-fixing" anything on the iOS platform, saying no-one can charge more then they do. As well, anything purchased on an iOS device will have to sacrifice %30 on the altar of Jobs. So:

    1: a business starts up an app on [insert iOS device here]
    2: business starts raking in profits
    3: Apple notices, develops it's own app, as well as negotiating lower prices for itself.
    4: Apple prices other business right out of it's market, due to %30 fee that affects everyone but Apple.
    5: Profit

    No ??????, it's pretty much cut and dry, and especially so now that Apple controls all the data mining from their iOS. This alone allows them to choose their battles, because they can see where the money flows. They can choose to try to take %30 of the profit, or all of it.

  7. Re:Your poor business decisions are not Apple's fa by brainzach · · Score: 5, Insightful

    No one thinks its a bad for a start up company with limited resources to put all its eggs in the Microsoft Windows basket.

    Apple has the 80%+ market share with tablets. They have no choice but to rely on Apple for them to remain profitable. Other platforms aren't bringing in enough revenue at the moment to justify the investment.