> Why does Apple feel entitled to get anything from Spotify?
Apple has argued they do not sell a piece of hardware, but a platform. It includes hardware, software, and a marketplace (like a video game console like others have said). Apple will also say that they have cultivated the platform to have the most affluent users (like a console again). This shows up in the stats. Even with iOS having a minority marketshare in the EU, all developers want to be on it because that is where the money is. What is access to a market and platform like that worth? Apple thinks 15%-30%.
Yes, it has been symbiotic between Apple and devs, but Apple has done something that differentiated it from Android wrt the type of user. Otherwise, all the devs could have left and Apple would have been forced to change long ago.
> Apple has argued they do not sell a piece of hardware, but a platform.
This is exactly where the EU goes in and say that responsibilities follow when you sell a platform and you need to act responsibly in the market - Apple just acts up instead of accepting that they did not behave correctly, like a child.
The EU has even specified what it means to act reasonably in the market through DMA.
The DMA is bizarrely protectionist and kind of a farce. Why doesn't it apply to Spotify? Ask any artist if Spotify should constitute a monopoly under the DMA.
You're not entirely wrong, but the DMA isn't a response to the existence of music streaming apps. It's a direct and targeted remediation to Apple's uniquely oppressive behavior, and would apply to Spotify too should they do the same thing. It doesn't protect Spotify from future litigation in any way, and in many ways limits their business prospects.
We might see legislation against Spotify someday, but it would have to be drastically different to account for Spotify's own unique damages. Plus, compared to Apple's impact on the market at-large, they're literal magnitudes smaller.
> Apple has argued they do not sell a piece of hardware, but a platform. It includes hardware, software, and a marketplace (like a video game console like others have said).
Can this even be quantifiably measured? Usually when selling something you describe, itemize and bill for it.
The Apple developer agreement offers the developer tools and access to Apple's App Store and related services. The dev's argument is that Apple is forcing them to enter into that contract to distribute apps to iOS users even when they explicitly wish to opt out of using Apple's developer tools and services.
Apple thinks it's worth 15%-30%. While app developers may complain, most still stay on the platform.
Or are you talking about how much the market is worth?
A new analysis has shown that iPhone users spend seven times more on apps than Android users, far higher than the 4x rule of thumb suggested by purely anecdotal data.
One of the goods that Apple sells to developers is the market of users. Attention of high value users is one of the most valuable items for sale today.
It is not possible to run software on iOS, an Apple software product, without running Apple’s developer tools. Are you thinking Spotify wants to opt out and build its own software stack for iPhone from kernel and baseband up?
I think you missed the argument. Since it's technically possible to compile an iOS app that uses iOS APIs without using Apple's developer tools, Apple would not have a claim that the developers "used their IP" in that situation. Calling APIs is not an exclusive IP right.
Apple has argued they do not sell a piece of hardware, but a platform. It includes hardware, software, and a marketplace (like a video game console like others have said). Apple will also say that they have cultivated the platform to have the most affluent users (like a console again). This shows up in the stats. Even with iOS having a minority marketshare in the EU, all developers want to be on it because that is where the money is. What is access to a market and platform like that worth? Apple thinks 15%-30%.
Yes, it has been symbiotic between Apple and devs, but Apple has done something that differentiated it from Android wrt the type of user. Otherwise, all the devs could have left and Apple would have been forced to change long ago.