Apple removes Fortnite from App Store after Epic attempts to bypass fees

Re:Apple removes Fortnite from App Store after Epic attempts... by heavyset_go on Thursday August 13, 2020 @03:26PM (#24147315)

From the FTC itself[1]:

> Courts do not require a literal monopoly before applying rules for single firm conduct; that term is used as shorthand for a firm with significant and durable market power — that is, the long term ability to raise price or exclude competitors. That is how that term is used here: a "monopolist" is a firm with significant and durable market power. Courts look at the firm's market share, but typically do not find monopoly power if the firm (or a group of firms acting in concert) has less than 50 percent of the sales of a particular product or service within a certain geographic area.

[1] https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/competition-guidance/guide-a...

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Re:Apple removes Fortnite from App Store after Epic attempts... by pythonaut_16 on Thursday August 13, 2020 @04:20PM (#24148288)

Geographic area is an interesting term here. If you take "iPhone owners" as a geographic area, then Apple has a 100% monopoly on that market. Geographic area == captive audience, and since iPhone users are a captive audience of the app store.

I think there's a reasonable argument that users buy iPhones with the expectation of a market in the app store (I can get or buy apps from any company that cares to develop one), so when Apple charges a 30% fee (far above normal payment processing fees) on every transaction made through the app they are abusing a monopoly position.

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Re:Apple removes Fortnite from App Store after Epic attempts... by donor20 on Thursday August 13, 2020 @08:10PM (#24151560)

I suppose the next case will be against Walmart for not allowing me to setup my own kiosk with my own payment processor in their store if you define markets in this way. They have a monopoly in their stores on sales of items.

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Re:Apple removes Fortnite from App Store after Epic attempts... by pythonaut_16 on Thursday August 13, 2020 @10:32PM (#24152547)

Walmart clearly falls under a geographic area. There's a physical store. You can measure the competition in that geographic area and you can look at what other choices consumers have.

An iPhone is clearly a different case. Measuring what options users have is not limited by a geographic region but by what policies and app stores govern the device.

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