Re:Ask HN: What would happen if Apple removed Uber from its ...
by nitrogen on Sunday February 28, 2016 @03:53PM
(#11192319)
Anti-competitive behavior doesn't require a monopoly. There's collusion/price fixing, libel, and other ways to interfere in a business which are all illegal without having a monopoly.
If we use cars as an analogy, we require car manufacturers to allow service by other mechanics, but we don't require the same for phones (yet). Car manufacturers do not have monopolies.
At some point, asking, "Does Apple have a monopoly?" becomes the wrong question to ask.
Re:Ask HN: What would happen if Apple removed Uber from its ...
by petra on Sunday February 28, 2016 @05:35PM
(#11192716)
>> we require car manufacturers to allow service by other mechanics
True, but that required a new law, and sure a new law could also be deployed with regards to Apple.
Re:Ask HN: What would happen if Apple removed Uber from its ...
by cm2187 on Sunday February 28, 2016 @03:16PM
(#11192173)
I think it requires having a dominant position, which in the in app purchase market is pretty much the case (by revenues).
Lots of android in the market but sold to people who couldn't tell the difference with iOS and wouldn't even know how to buy an app.
Re:Ask HN: What would happen if Apple removed Uber from its ...
by cgm616 on Sunday February 28, 2016 @03:23PM
(#11192206)
I think anti-trust also requires a non-privately administered market. In Apple's App Store, they own the servers serving the app market, giving them control.
I don't think the government could force them to keep an app on their server and continue to serve it to consumers running their software if they didn't want to.
Anti-trust law requires having a monopoly(which Apple doesn't have) or acting together with other companies. So in this case it's probably legal.
EDIT: that's basically the opinion of Keith Rabois, who litigated several anti-trust laws.
https://www.quora.com/Why-was-Microsoft-punished-for-violati...