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China Regulator To Review Apple Antitrust Complaint (bloomberg.com)
China's State Administration for Industry and Commerce is reviewing an antitrust complaint accusing Apple of abusing its dominant position in smartphone applications, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg. From the report: The regulator is studying the information following a complaint filed on behalf of developers before deciding if a formal investigation is necessary, said the people, who asked not to be named because the matter isn't public. The review is preliminary and Chinese antitrust agencies usually review such information before deciding whether a official probe is needed. Beijing-based law firm Daxiao, or Dare & Sure, said earlier this month it filed complaints on the developers' behalf to the SAIC and the National Development and Reform Commission. The lawyers accused Apple of removing apps without a proper explanation and taking an excessive 30 percent cut of in-app transactions, it said in an Aug. 8 statement. The law firm now represents close to 50 developers, producing games and a number of other apps, according to Lin Wei, managing partner of Dare & Sure.
I'm sure that the Chinese regulatory agencies are completely trustworthy and unbiased, so we can be sure that there are no hidden motives of the Chinese government here.
Isn't this the same type of conditions that Google applies for Android on the PlayStore? I am not saying this makes Apple innocent, just that this seems to be generally the same across mobile platforms.
This page says this about Android apps:
For applications and in-app products that you offer on Google Play, the transaction fee is equivalent to 30% of the price.
You receive 70% of the payment. The remaining 30% goes to the distribution partner and operating fees.
Heck, when a developer sold an app via the old brick and mortar stores, they were probably lucky to get 50%.
Jumpstart the tartan drive.
It has an iPhone app store monopoly.
Apple is in a weird position here. People actually spend money on iOS apps because they trust the store. People only trust Apple App Store because Apple exerts control over it. This suit wants people to buy their apps, but to destroy the control Apple has that makes people actually trust sending money to developers.