JMaille

Could the split to a different App Store for Europe be necessary to implement the changes required to charge developers directly for the use of Apple IP and backend systems in their apps directly since they won't be able to recover those costs as they do currently?

Time to start piloting the new program of charging all developers for the use of the API based on number of apps distributed.  I'm sure that those 1500 developers will find that a much more fair way of charging for the use of Apple's intellectual property.

I wonder if anyone at Apple has been paying attention to what Reddit did recently?  How much will it cost for developers that don't use the Apple App Store to use the APIs that Apple has developed?

It's just a matter of time until all of this forces Apple to change their business model and start charging license fees for developer tools and use of and access to APIs, along with charging developers on a per download basis for being in the Apple App Store.  All of which will, of course, eliminate small developers and end the availability of free and low cost apps.  Which surely will make things better for everyone... won't it?

When are people going to realize this isn’t about reducing the cost to consumers, this is about getting as much money out of consumers as they possibly can.  Epic and the other companies that are protesting the “Apple Tax” aren’t trying to eliminate or even reduce the cost of being in the App Store for themselves.  What they are trying to do is force Apple, either through their own decision, through the courts, or through legislation, to change the way they charge developers for being in the App Store.  They want to do away with the competition from free apps.  They want Apple to change to an approach where any developer that wants to put an app in the App Store has to pay for it, which in turn will eliminate almost all free apps and almost all developers they may have to compete with.  Or better yet, they want to force Apple to allow, or be force to allow, alternate App Stores on every single IOS device so they can stop having to live with the privacy restrictions Apple forces on them.  Then they can get to what they really want, harvesting user data so they can make the user what they think all users should be – the product rather than the customer.