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Google Pulls Paid Apps From Taiwanese Android Market
tlhIngan writes "Taiwan recently mandated that online download sites (like Apple's App Store and Google's Marketplace) must comply with a law stating consumers have 7 days to return goods bought sight-unseen. While Apple has complied, Google has refused to comply. Taiwan fined the search giant NT$1M (approx. US$34,600). In retaliation, Google pulled the paid apps section of the Market for users in Taiwan."
Why are these folks always ahead of us... faster broadband, contactless payment... If they void software patents, I'm emigrating.
"Retaliation" and "pulls" are flamebait words made up by the submitter. Google's statement used the word suspended, meaning the action is likely temporary until further consideration.
Well, I don't see why.
Taiwan told Google that if they're going to sell stuff, they have to offer refunds. If they don't have a mechanism in place to offer refunds, they stop selling.
It's a valid response. It might not be the one you'd prefer, but I don't see why they don't get the option of saying "well, that's not how it works anywhere else". Is Taiwan entitled to buy stuff from Google or something?
Lost at C:>. Found at C.
You have to do more than just claim that something is evil. You have to make an actual point about why this is evil.
Put yourself in their shoes. You're a business, and want to operate in some jurisdiction. They have rules you don't like. You can either a) abide by the rules, b) choose not to operate there, or c) campaign to have the rules changed. All of these area reasonable options, none of them are evil, and Google chose B.
Stop being so alarmist.
The solution to it? Let them do it. I mean its inconvenient enough, and those people would probably not buy the products anyways, and alienating possible customers is never a good solution. So make it inconvenient to steal it, and cheaply affordable. Those that want it will buy it. Those that just muck around will not buy it anyways. Unlike with brick and mortar stores, you haven't lost anything other than a couple MB of data transfer. But I think the good will and retainment of those willing to pay is much more important to keep. This is something most companies have not learned yet.