從與Netflix的秘密交易,到對蘋果(Apple)首席執(zhí)行官蒂姆?庫克的拷問,再到關(guān)于《堡壘之夜》(Fortnite)中的香蕉人要不要穿衣服的討論,Epic Game訴蘋果案在長達(dá)三周、近100個(gè)小時(shí)的庭審之后,終于在5月24日落下帷幕。
二者的斗爭在2020年8月爆發(fā),當(dāng)時(shí)Epic更新了其熱門電子游戲《堡壘之夜》的iOS版本,并設(shè)置了一個(gè)“熱修復(fù)補(bǔ)丁”,繞過蘋果30%的應(yīng)用內(nèi)付費(fèi)抽成。之后,蘋果迅速將《堡壘之夜》從iPhone應(yīng)用程序商店中移除。Epic因此提起訴訟,指控蘋果濫用市場權(quán)力。此后這兩家公司一直爭論不休,直到今年5月24日的開庭——庭審的辯論方式接近審判程序,而不是通常的結(jié)案陳詞。
雖然法庭在這場法律糾紛中會站在哪一邊尚不清楚,但主持此案的美國地方法官伊馮?岡薩雷斯?羅杰斯給出了一些她想法的暗示。目前,她正在尋找反壟斷的案例法——法官可能不愿意讓蘋果或Epic中的任何一方輕易取勝。
首先,岡薩雷斯?羅杰斯法官不太可能顛覆蘋果的業(yè)務(wù)。據(jù)《金融時(shí)報(bào)》(Financial Times)報(bào)道,她曾經(jīng)向Epic的法律顧問提問:“你能夠給我找一個(gè)迎合你的訴求的反壟斷案例嗎?強(qiáng)迫一家大公司大幅改變其業(yè)務(wù),比如讓蘋果公司允許在自家設(shè)備上安裝多個(gè)應(yīng)用商店程序?有得到法院批準(zhǔn)的案例嗎?”
“這一步相當(dāng)重要,但是任何法院都未曾邁出過?!彼f。
但是,岡薩雷斯?羅杰斯法官或也不會讓蘋果逃脫懲罰。有一次,她向蘋果施加壓力,責(zé)令其擺脫對應(yīng)用商店的顯著控制?!?0%這個(gè)蘋果稅從一開始就一直存在?!彼f,“如果真實(shí)競爭存在,這個(gè)數(shù)字或許就會改變——但事實(shí)上并沒有。”在訴訟開始后,蘋果將部分交易的費(fèi)用降低到15%(包括小型開發(fā)商和第一年訂閱后再次出現(xiàn)的收入),這一舉措后來被谷歌(Google)仿效。
從根本上說,本案的核心問題是如何定義這個(gè)蘋果本應(yīng)與其他企業(yè)展開競爭的市場——這是典型的壟斷者困境。蘋果一直在極力說服所有人,告訴他人其面臨著來自其他應(yīng)用商店和設(shè)備制造商的激烈競爭,比如谷歌的安卓系統(tǒng)(Android)和三星(Samsung),從而證明其收取應(yīng)用商店租金的合理性。與此同時(shí),Epic一直在竭盡全力地指責(zé),認(rèn)為蘋果對應(yīng)用商店的嚴(yán)格控制是一種反競爭、貪婪和專橫的行為。
如果你手握《堡壘之夜》里的“boogie炸彈”指著我的腦袋,質(zhì)問我的猜測,我會說:蘋果將被迫放松對開發(fā)商在應(yīng)用商店中為其他付費(fèi)方式打廣告的禁令。岡薩雷斯?羅杰斯法官在審理過程中曾經(jīng)暗示過這種可能性,與此前涉及美國運(yùn)通(American Express)和鐵路公司案件的司法判例相類似。
我猜測法院只會將這一調(diào)整應(yīng)用于手機(jī)游戲市場——因?yàn)檫@是岡薩雷斯?羅杰斯法官提出的另一個(gè)暗示。如此縮小范圍的裁決將減少對蘋果整體業(yè)務(wù)的影響,而且或?qū)⒂兄诎矒岵糠謶嵟瓱o比的應(yīng)用商店開發(fā)者——即使其對Match Group、Netflix和Spotify等其他不滿的公司,以及無數(shù)的小公司,不起任何的安撫作用。
無論岡薩雷斯?羅杰斯法官如何裁決,有一件事情幾乎是肯定的:如果一方上訴,這個(gè)漫長的訴訟故事將被繼續(xù)拉長。(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
編譯:楊二一
從與Netflix的秘密交易,到對蘋果(Apple)首席執(zhí)行官蒂姆?庫克的拷問,再到關(guān)于《堡壘之夜》(Fortnite)中的香蕉人要不要穿衣服的討論,Epic Game訴蘋果案在長達(dá)三周、近100個(gè)小時(shí)的庭審之后,終于在5月24日落下帷幕。
二者的斗爭在2020年8月爆發(fā),當(dāng)時(shí)Epic更新了其熱門電子游戲《堡壘之夜》的iOS版本,并設(shè)置了一個(gè)“熱修復(fù)補(bǔ)丁”,繞過蘋果30%的應(yīng)用內(nèi)付費(fèi)抽成。之后,蘋果迅速將《堡壘之夜》從iPhone應(yīng)用程序商店中移除。Epic因此提起訴訟,指控蘋果濫用市場權(quán)力。此后這兩家公司一直爭論不休,直到今年5月24日的開庭——庭審的辯論方式接近審判程序,而不是通常的結(jié)案陳詞。
雖然法庭在這場法律糾紛中會站在哪一邊尚不清楚,但主持此案的美國地方法官伊馮?岡薩雷斯?羅杰斯給出了一些她想法的暗示。目前,她正在尋找反壟斷的案例法——法官可能不愿意讓蘋果或Epic中的任何一方輕易取勝。
首先,岡薩雷斯?羅杰斯法官不太可能顛覆蘋果的業(yè)務(wù)。據(jù)《金融時(shí)報(bào)》(Financial Times)報(bào)道,她曾經(jīng)向Epic的法律顧問提問:“你能夠給我找一個(gè)迎合你的訴求的反壟斷案例嗎?強(qiáng)迫一家大公司大幅改變其業(yè)務(wù),比如讓蘋果公司允許在自家設(shè)備上安裝多個(gè)應(yīng)用商店程序?有得到法院批準(zhǔn)的案例嗎?”
“這一步相當(dāng)重要,但是任何法院都未曾邁出過?!彼f。
但是,岡薩雷斯?羅杰斯法官或也不會讓蘋果逃脫懲罰。有一次,她向蘋果施加壓力,責(zé)令其擺脫對應(yīng)用商店的顯著控制?!?0%這個(gè)蘋果稅從一開始就一直存在?!彼f,“如果真實(shí)競爭存在,這個(gè)數(shù)字或許就會改變——但事實(shí)上并沒有。”在訴訟開始后,蘋果將部分交易的費(fèi)用降低到15%(包括小型開發(fā)商和第一年訂閱后再次出現(xiàn)的收入),這一舉措后來被谷歌(Google)仿效。
從根本上說,本案的核心問題是如何定義這個(gè)蘋果本應(yīng)與其他企業(yè)展開競爭的市場——這是典型的壟斷者困境。蘋果一直在極力說服所有人,告訴他人其面臨著來自其他應(yīng)用商店和設(shè)備制造商的激烈競爭,比如谷歌的安卓系統(tǒng)(Android)和三星(Samsung),從而證明其收取應(yīng)用商店租金的合理性。與此同時(shí),Epic一直在竭盡全力地指責(zé),認(rèn)為蘋果對應(yīng)用商店的嚴(yán)格控制是一種反競爭、貪婪和專橫的行為。
如果你手握《堡壘之夜》里的“boogie炸彈”指著我的腦袋,質(zhì)問我的猜測,我會說:蘋果將被迫放松對開發(fā)商在應(yīng)用商店中為其他付費(fèi)方式打廣告的禁令。岡薩雷斯?羅杰斯法官在審理過程中曾經(jīng)暗示過這種可能性,與此前涉及美國運(yùn)通(American Express)和鐵路公司案件的司法判例相類似。
我猜測法院只會將這一調(diào)整應(yīng)用于手機(jī)游戲市場——因?yàn)檫@是岡薩雷斯?羅杰斯法官提出的另一個(gè)暗示。如此縮小范圍的裁決將減少對蘋果整體業(yè)務(wù)的影響,而且或?qū)⒂兄诎矒岵糠謶嵟瓱o比的應(yīng)用商店開發(fā)者——即使其對Match Group、Netflix和Spotify等其他不滿的公司,以及無數(shù)的小公司,不起任何的安撫作用。
無論岡薩雷斯?羅杰斯法官如何裁決,有一件事情幾乎是肯定的:如果一方上訴,這個(gè)漫長的訴訟故事將被繼續(xù)拉長。(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
編譯:楊二一
After nearly 100 hours of testimony ranging from secret deal-cutting with Netflix, to grilling Apple CEO Tim Cook, to discussions about a nude banana-man, the three-week-long Epic Games vs. Apple trial hearings concluded on May 24.
The fight erupted in August, when Epic updated the iOS version of Fortnite, its popular video game, with a “hot fix” to route around Apple’s 30% take on in-app payments. At that time, Apple promptly ejected Fortnite from the iPhone app store. Epic filed suit, alleging that Apple was abusing its market power. The two companies have been duking it out ever since, leading up to May 24’s “hot tub” session, which saw a debate-style close to the trial proceedings instead of the usual closing arguments.
While there’s no knowing which way the court will side in the legal spat, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who is presiding over the case, has offered some hints about her thinking. She is looking to antitrust case law, and she appears reluctant to hand either Apple or Epic an easy victory.
For one thing, it’s unlikely that Judge Gonzalez Rogers will upend Apple’s business. “Can you find me a single antitrust case where the type of relief you are requesting”—that is, forcing a large company to substantially alter its business; or, specifically, in this case, making Apple host multiple app stores on its devices—"has been granted by a court?” she once asked Epic’s counsel, as reported by the Financial Times.
“It is a pretty significant step that courts haven’t done.”She said.
But Judge Gonzalez Rogers likely won’t let Apple get off scot-free. At one point, she pressed the company on its apparent stranglehold over the app store. “The 30% number has been there since the inception,” she said at one point, referring to Apple’s general cut of digital payments. “If there was real competition, that number would move—and it hasn’t.” (After litigation commenced, Apple reduced the fee for certain transactions to 15%, including for small developers and for subscription revenues that recur after the first year, a move later copied by Google.)
Fundamentally, the question at the heart of the case is how one defines the market in which Apple supposedly competes; it is the classic monopolist’s dilemma. Apple has been trying mightily to persuade everyone that it faces stiff competition from other app stores and device makers, like Google’s Android and Samsung, thereby justifying its app store rent-taking. Epic, meanwhile, has been pulling out all the stops to argue that Apple’s tight grip on the app store is anticompetitive, greedy, and overbearing.
If you held a Fortnite “boogie bomb” to this columnist’s head and asked for his prediction, he would say this: Apple will be forced to ease up on its ban against developers advertising alternative payment options in the app store. It’s a possibility that Judge Gonzalez Rogers has alluded to during the proceedings, and it nods at judicial precedents from earlier cases involving American Express and railroads.
I suspect the court will apply this tweak only to the mobile gaming market, another idea Judge Gonzalez Rogers has floated. Such a narrowed ruling would reduce the impact to Apple’s overall business, and it might help to appease a particularly aggrieved segment of app store developers—even if it offers cold comfort to other discontents, such as Match Group, Netflix, and Spotify, alongside countless smaller fish.
However Judge Gonzalez Rogers rules, one thing is almost certain: Appeals will lengthen the saga.