Start of *thread*
Will tweet some of the more glaring exhibits in the @Apple-@Epic trial -- moving too quickly to offer (much) commentary.
@Apple @epic “Apple’s claims of security falls short. Scam apps and copycat apps have gotten through the process…
So many bad apps made it through the allegedly secure review process that, as you can see from 2017, Apple noted that more than 400,000 apps were removed from the App Store.”
Phil Schiller in 2012, after a rip-off app hit #1: "What the hell is this?????
.... Is no one reviewing these Apps? Is no one minding the store?"
Epic makes the case that the App Store isn't especially secure, and that Apple knows it; "security" is just what they say to justify 30% fee.
Epic says the App Store monopoly is akin to a car dealer charging a customer a 30% fee every time they fill up in the car, with no other options allowed.
(Good analogy??)
Apple's Opening Argument just started...
“This case is a fundamental assault on Apple’s secure and integrated ecosystem.”
"Apple did not create a secure and integrated ecosystem to keep people out. It created a secure and integrated ecosystem so we could invite developers in -- without sacrificing the privacy, reliability, security and quality that customers want."
Apple says it gives developers what they need to be successful -- more than 10,000 APIs, plus Apple's IP
Apple says Fortnite is dismissing Apple's contributions but in the past it has praised them:
"Epic is asking for government intervention to take away a choice that consumers currently have."
Apple says in-app purchases weren't some devious way to alter terms with developers, but a response to their needs. When App Store launched, there were free app or paid . Devs asked for freemium — a free app with in-app purchases. A way for devs to make money via content.
Apple says it didnt invent the 30% rate -- it's the going rate.
Apple argues Epic doesn't impose restrictions on reaching its 1bn customers, b/c these customers play Fortnite on consoles, PCs, Android devices
The Majority of Fortnite User Accounts Are Not on iOS
"It makes you wonder what we're even doing here" Apple lawyer says
"I can buy V-bucks" -the Fortnite currency - "on one platform and then spend it on another."
Sweet Lord they've called a 20 minute recess
Apple found the following quote from one of Epic's expert witnesses. "That's quite an endorsement" Apple lawyer says
Apple says it knew from the beginning that iPhone was going to be "very different from PC or a Mac." It's mobile, has to work all the time. Reliability was paramount. Apple couldn't sacrifice on security....
The device has GPS, a mic, a camera. It has photos of your children. You might leave it on a bus. Without security bad actors would have a field day.
So human-centric app review was a critical layer to App Review / security.
Apple "freely acknowledges" that its security is not perfect, but the flaws must be measured against the overall numbers - 1.8m apps.
100% of all apps are automatically tested for malware. 100,000 are reviewed each week by 500 expert reviewers; Apple rejects a full 40% of them.
Apple: Epic says 'why can't you just allow sideloading like Android?'
They are asking us to get rid of a competitive advantage. Epic wants us to be something that we don't want to be - and that our consumers don't want.
Apple says if Epic prevails, the consequences will go way beyond Apple’s ecosystem.
Apple says for consumers and developers alike, this will lead to less security, less reliability, lower quality -- the very things antitrust tries to protect
Tim Sweeney up now -- first person to testify.
The audio quality is terrible - I can barely make out the words from Tim Sweeney
Q: "Did you perceive [muffled], [muffle], [muffled]?
Answer: "[muffled] found [muffled]product [muffled] engineers."
Q: in 2020?
Sweeney: Yes.
Two tech giants are battling in court and the tech used for the event is pre World War.
Recess for 45m.
Cross-exam of Sweeney now beginning. Hoping this is more of interest....
(Sound quality is better but remains muffled.)
After the hot fix, didn’t Epic continue to pay a 30% “tax” to Nintendo, Xbox?
Sweeney: Correct.
this moves way too quickly, sound is pretty bad, it's mostly of little consequence (for now), and I'm reticent of paraphrasing given what errors/simplifications might mean. no more for now
The court entered a “sealed session” for an unspecified amount of time; phone lines cut off.
Unexpected plus side: some really upbeat music on loop.
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