In a new blog post issued by Apple Inc. on Wednesday, the company openly guarded its online App Store from the criticism it’s been facing over several weeks following rival Spotify’s complaint.
The blog post elaborates on the company’s functions and guidelines. In the section titled “Principles and Practices”, Apple has publicly put forward its stance, stating that App developers are authorized to make decisions regarding the charges from a defined set of price tiers.
Apple’s top rival, Spotify Technology SA, the music streaming leader, had filed a complaint earlier to the EU antitrust regulatory body against Apple’s practices being “anti-competitive”. Spotify had stated in its complaint that Apple charges a 30% fee from content-based service providers for using the iPhone maker’s in-app purchase system (IAP).
In its defense, Apple mentioned in the blog post, “We only collect a commission from developers when a digital good or service is delivered through an app. We also care about quality over quantity and trust over transactions. That’s why, even though other stores have more users and more app downloads, the App Store earns more money for developers”
Apple’s blog post comes right in time at the company’s impending annual developer conference scheduled to take place next week in Silicon Valley. The iPhone company has also welcomed competition in the post, stating that “We believe competition makes everything better and results in the best apps for our customers.”
The company also defended itself saying that it offers a fair marketplace to its 20 million developers working in its Apple Developer Program. However, earlier this month, the US Supreme Court approved an antitrust lawsuit filed against Apple’s 30% commission charges on purchases and accusing the company of forcing its customers to pay higher for its iPhone software apps.
Yet, Apple has by and large been maintaining its stand that it is not the dominating leader in several smartphones, laptop, and streaming music service markets where it operates.
