Apple anti-competitive?

[ronnielsen1]

• DOJ investigators have interviewed executives from the four major music labels and several digital music retailers about how Apple wields its iTunes influence.
• Part of what investigators are interested in is whether Apple used its market dominance to discourage two of the top record companies from participating in a special Amazon music promotion called the "MP3 Daily Deal."


http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/biztech/05/27/cnet.itunes.apple/index.html?hpt=Sbin

[MasterNetra]

Apple being anti-competitive isn't really news. They've pretty much always been like that.

[donkyhotay]

In it's own way apple is more anti-competitive then microsoft. I'll bet MS would LOVE to be able to lock windows down the way apple does with osX.

[ronnielsen1]

I definitely understand that but I guess the DOJ wasn't sure

[whiskeylover]

Apple anti-competitive?



Grass green?

[Dixon Bainbridge]

All companies are anti-competitive. That's business.

[CrimsonBizarre]

Apple are THE MOST ANTI-COMPETITIVE company in the world. How is this big news?

[Dragonbite]

Maybe they will be forced to open up some, like either provide iTunes to Linux, or open the standards for other projects to utilize.

[McRat]

Welcome to the 21st Century.

You are witnessing a media-driven stock manipulation.

Apple stock has climbed 100% in the last year, very steady. Everybody knows this; it's a high-focus stock. But is 100% enough? No.

Now, you make up some press releases that are plausible but have no real substance, showing Apple in a bad light, stock falls (or just flattens) then BUY. In 6 months, you sell at 100% over, hence doubling the yield. 200% a year baby!!

Why Apple? Since the stock is already strong, if the plan fails, you get a lower yield. You don't actually lose money.

Or does everyone really believe that Apple went from Altruistic Angels to Digital Devils in 30 days? Bad water?

Or believe that Apple holds a monopoly on the microcomputer, cellphone, or music distribution industries?


Which scenario is more likely? You decide.

[Sub101]

Surely, with the news today that Apple is "bigger" than Microsoft, Apple will be met with the same situation as MS with the Browser choice situation?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/10168684.stm

[YuiDaoren]

Grass green?
Not in my yard. :)

[chessnerd]

I'm surprised that Apple hasn't been hit with anti-trust legislation due to it's over-dominance in the MP3 player market, especially since they have locked everything up and prevented all competing software from being used with their devices.

Microsoft was sued over including Windows Media Player and Internet Explorer with Windows, but at least Windows always let you install alternatives and didn't force you to use them...

[whiskeylover]

I'm surprised that Apple hasn't been hit with anti-trust legislation due to it's over-dominance in the MP3 player market, especially since they have locked everything up and prevented all competing software from being used with their devices.

Microsoft was sued over including Windows Media Player and Internet Explorer with Windows, but at least Windows always let you install alternatives and didn't force you to use them...

Come on EU, where are your anti-trust lawsuits now?

[McRat]

...but at least Windows always let you install alternatives and didn't force you to use them...

No. That was the lawsuit. You could not Uninstall IE, and MS had hidden API calls to service it. MS said it could not be removed.

Netscape Navigator was the #1 browser IIRC, and MS made it unstable to force you to run IE. Navigator is dead now?

IE was why MS had to do the Automatic Update system. IE was really poorly written. Memory leaks like RAM grew on trees.

[McRat]

Apple will never take over the micro market until they change their root philosophy. Apple is organized so that Hardware is #1 and software supports the hardware. They do not like other people making "Apples". This is why Apple almost tanked in 2000.

And for that I will give MS kudos. They never tried to dictate which hardware they would support, they just changed to adapt.

Without Apple, Win7 would have never happened. No reason to improve Windows for the customer needs if you are the only game in town. WinME, 98, 98SE, Vista, are all proof.

Apple is like AMD. We need it to keep WinTel moving forward.

Linux? Both Apple and MS are getting nervous. 5 years ago Linux was only for propeller heads. 5 years from now, it might be the "easiest" O/S for the masses. Hardware makers and Enterprises have already adopted it way out of proportion to the desktop world. Funny though, that Hardware makers use it for embedded systems, but don't release desktop drivers for it.

[swoll1980]

Navigator is dead now?


Navigator is Firefox now.

[chessnerd]

No. That was the lawsuit. You could not Uninstall IE, and MS had hidden API calls to service it. MS said it could not be removed.

I can't uninstall Windows Explorer (the desktop environment/file manager) either. I can't disable the calculator, or change sound managers. There are many parts of the operating system that are locked in. Should the browser have been one of these things? No. Microsoft screwed up, and they payed for it. However, you could still install Netscape or Opera in the 1990s, and you can now remove IE in Windows 7.

The iPod Touch/iPhone didn't even allow browser alternatives until this year (allowing Opera Mini onto the platform).

Also, Netscape is still (somewhat) alive. It has a small usage share still and Mozilla Firefox is based on Netscape code (the Netscape team started the Mozilla project).

[kamaboko]

In it's own way apple is more anti-competitive then microsoft. I'll bet MS would LOVE to be able to lock windows down the way apple does with osX.

You got that right.

[Frak]

Linux? Both Apple and MS are getting nervous.

ROFL

As for Apple being anti-competitive, welcome to capitalism. That's just how it works.

[McRat]

ROFL

As for Apple being anti-competitive, welcome to capitalism. That's just how it works.

I used to think it was paranoia by Linux Groupies until somebody had me type in www.GetTheFacts.com and then I read the RadioShack case study.

Pretty weird coming from a multi-billion dollar organization with marketing staff that make 6 figure incomes.

Paranoia? Yeah, somebody in Redmond is losing it.

[Frak]

I used to think it was paranoia by Linux Groupies until somebody had me type in www.GetTheFacts.com and then I read the RadioShack case study.

Pretty weird coming from a multi-billion dollar organization with marketing staff that make 6 figure incomes.

Paranoia? Yeah, somebody in Redmond is losing it.
They're sorta afraid of Linux on the Server side. Microsoft and Apple see 0% competition coming from the Desktop front. Linux is cheap, so putting it on a server is cost effective. The only quality that matters is the code quality, while the interface can look like crap.

[libssd]

I remember the Mac clones -- they were a disaster. By tightly controlling the hardware/software, Apple reduces the risk of problems, but at the cost of providing a relatively closed system. Ubuntu is an open system -- and look at the problems that are reported by users of various computers.

Given the tendency of every company to behave badly when it achieves a dominant position, we should probably be grateful that Ubuntu lives in a niche -- the Canonical folks are motivated to try harder.

[KiwiNZ]

This action is at the behest of the music houses. They want Apple and others to stop selling individual tunes. They have been trying for a long time. Apple has been saying no.

They are now trying this tact in order to try and force the the compromise hand. In the end the consumer will be lose in the end as they will have to buy complete albums full of rubbish.

The "anti-competitive" investigations , be it USA or European are a joke that wind up being anti consumer.

[JDShu]

Any sort of anti-competitive practice needs to be rooted out and punished for the market work. The DoJ is just doing their job - lets hope they do it well.

[McRat]

Doesn't seem to make sense.

Amazon wants Exclusive Rights.

Apple doesn't.

Apple says if you give Amazon Exclusive, we will not advertise your product for free.

Apple is 28% of music sales, Amazon is 11.8%. Neither has controlling interest. Keep in mind these are distribution channels, not primes. It is not unusual for distribution channels to have over 50% market.

Exactly how is that unfair business practices?

Article is written with an inflammitory twist, and there is no "legal" basis indicated, nor any names, nor confirmation, etc. Nor is it "news", this issue is at least 2 years old.

It's part of a greater media drive propelled by something. In the case of the writer of the CNN article? Gotta say it sounds like someone wanted him to color it. Adjectives out of place, not much facts for a large media entity.

[ronnielsen1]

5 years ago Linux was only for propeller heads.
It was a little more challenging but I really don't consider myself a propeller head. Just one virus too many.

[Stancel]

I laugh at Apple's gimmicks. pretty soon they will be selling us the iPillow or some wacky crap like that.

in contrast, Droid looks quite nice.:P

[rich97]

Surely, with the news today that Apple is "bigger" than Microsoft, Apple will be met with the same situation as MS with the Browser choice situation?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/10168684.stm

At least Apples browser works, so I couldn't care less.

[blueturtl]

"If you want to do business with us, don't do business with them." seems to be a fairly common thing in the commercial world. Is this what is deemed anti-competitive?

When entities such as companies form contracts are they not free to make their own terms?

Microsoft is deemed to be a monopoly although all it's OEM deals are voluntary and there are competing brands (such as Apple) in the market place.

Is Microsoft/Apple always the sole source of evil or should we perhaps be looking closer at the companies "they force" to do their bidding?

[CrimsonBizarre]

I laugh at Apple's gimmicks. pretty soon they will be selling us the iPillow or some wacky crap like that.

in contrast, Droid looks quite nice.:P

But you won't be use this iPillow with any bed. Only the iBed - this iBed comes in 'nano' and 'pad' sizes. This iBed is designed so that you can only get inside it wearing an iShirt, if you are not wearing one, you just cannot get into it.
iBed will become the becomes the next 'hip' thing and if you use any alternative, you will be spat on in the street.

I hate Apple.

[JDShu]

"If you want to do business with us, don't do business with them." seems to be a fairly common thing in the commercial world. Is this what is deemed anti-competitive?


It could be a violation of section 3 of the Clayton Act (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clayton_Antitrust_Act) but its only a possibility. That is why the DoJ is investigating. (IANAL)

[Sub101]

At least Apples browser works, so I couldn't care less.

Thats not the point though. If the rules apply to one they must apply to the other. So with Apple now the largest technology company the same laws must apply.