Article: Apple Forces Nook and Kindle Apps to Remove In-App Purchases

[n00neimp0rtant]

Lolling at all of you defending a multi-billion dollar corporation for further monopolizing digital media.

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Agreed. Apple provides the platform and charges a 30% "licensing" fee. These companies were trying to take advantage of Apple's platform and target audience while circumventing that fee. All Apple has done here is close that 'loophole' which never should have been abused in the first place. Amazon, Kobo, and the likes can still sell their subscriptions to the 'Apple audience' if the conform to the guidelines of the platform and pay their fee.

If I remember correctly, there was already a company that got in trouble for doing something similar. Microsoft got in trouble for bundling Internet Explorer into their Operating System and for adding restrictions to other internet explorer programs being used on Windows. They used their monopoly on Windows to make it harder for other explorer's to compete with IE. Apple is doing the same thing here, they are using their monopoly over their OS to make thier other products easier to use than the competing products.

Too bad that by the time the government reacts to this, it'll be too late anyways.

[one1]

If the actual Kindle is as popular as Amazon claims, then there is no reason to worry with what Apple does regarding in app purchases, .........right?

[sirbebe]

Dont buy apple and you won't have nothing to complain about....problem solved!!!!

we feed the monster and blame it for acting as such!!

[Ipadation]

I do not see how Apple is being a bully. It is Apples platform, and Apples rules. When I am at a business or someones home for that matter, I follow the rules. I think it's great that Apples platform has rules that are enforced.

so...you also agree that any purchase made using a web browser (safari, Explorer, Firefox...) is subject to similar rules? Let's say I buy an iMac from BestBuy online using Firefox, should Firefox receive 30% cut simply because I use their browser? If true who pays? Apple pays 30% to Firefox because it is their product or BestBuy pays because it is their inventory?

Where does the madness stop?

[mmaboi21]

It all depends. It may well be that the rules that apple imposes may soon be ruled illegal. There is such a thing as antimonopoly laws. Now there are millions of apple ios devices and users out there. Apple wants to impose its monopoly on the platform so that nobody else can compete with them. There used to allow more flexibility on the ikindle, and inook programs, but now that they also sell books they want to quickly shut down the competition by making it either harder or more expensive (30%) to buy books in-app. I will let you think of the car analogy, but it is quite clear. Apple behavior is illegal or bordeline illegal. Of course the US has long lost its power to patrol its corporations who have higher legal rights than its citizens...

What exactly does it depend on?? Their intentions?? Apple is a business, they are about making money. Of course a bad way of going about it, but regardless they are going to make money and that is the intention. If it means eliminating competition then so be it. Their platform is their platform, therefore anybody who is in it has to play by the rules.

[CZroe]

Serious question: Why can I still order pizza from the Pizza Hut app? Does Apple get 30% of the fee?