Spotify steps up music-streaming wars, filing antitrust complaint against Apple GlobeBusiness
Central to Spotify’s complaint, filed to the European Commission on Monday, is what it says is a 30 percent fee Apple charges content-based service providers to use Apple’s in-app purchase system .Horacio Gutierrez, Spotify’s general counsel, said the company was pressured into using the billing system in 2014, but then was forced to raise the monthly fee of its premium service from 9.99 to 12.99 euros, just as Apple Music launched at Spotify’s initial 9.99 price.
Spotify then ceased use of Apple’s IAP system, meaning Spotify customers could only upgrade to the fee-based package indirectly, such as on a laptop. Under App store rules, Spotify said, content-based apps could not include buttons or external links to pages with production information, discounts or promotions and faced difficulties fixing bugs. Such restrictions do not apply to Android phones, it said.
“Promotions are essential to our business. This is how we convert our free customers to premium,” Gutierrez said. Voice recognition system Siri would not hook iPhone users up to Spotify and Apple declined to let Spotify launch an app on its Apple Watch, Spotify said.“We feel confident in the economic analysis we have submitted to the Commission that we could have done better than we have done so far,” Gutierrez said.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Spotify files antitrust complaint to EU against AppleMusic site Spotify has complained to European Union regulators about Apple for allegedly abusing its dominant position in music streaming and stifling competition.
Read more »
Spotify files antitrust complaint to EU against AppleMusic site Spotify has complained to European Union regulators about Apple for allegedly abusing its dominant position in music streaming and stifling competition.
Read more »
After Trump's 'Tim Apple' gaffe, Apple CEO changes his Twitter nameA day after Trump mistakenly referred to Tim Cook at a White House meeting as 'Tim Apple,' Cook quietly altered his Twitter profile, replacing his last name with the Apple logo.
Read more »
Fitbit launches cheapest smartwatch to defend against Apple, SamsungFitbit launches cheapest smartwatch to defend against Apple, Samsung GlobeBusiness
Read more »
Apple to hold event on March 25; television and video service announcement expectedIn its invitation, Apple did not specify the focus of the event and gave a single-line description: ‘It’s show time’
Read more »
Apple expected to launch video streaming serviceApple announced plans Monday for a March 25 media event, hinting at a widely expected plan to unveil its own Netflix-style streaming service with original video.
Read more »
iPhone trends going ‘from bad to worse,’ as Apple struggles with slow demandAnalyst says lack of a rebound in iPhone sales creates risk and shifts more focus to Apple’s March 25 event
Read more »