{"id":26591,"date":"2019-09-13T15:57:09","date_gmt":"2019-09-13T19:57:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/?p=26591"},"modified":"2021-06-18T07:09:58","modified_gmt":"2021-06-18T11:09:58","slug":"how-apple-uses-its-app-store-to-copy-the-best-ideas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/2019\/09\/13\/how-apple-uses-its-app-store-to-copy-the-best-ideas\/","title":{"rendered":"How Apple Uses Its App Store to Copy the Best Ideas"},"content":{"rendered":"

Reed Albergotti<\/a>:<\/p>\n

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Developers have come to accept that, without warning, Apple can make their work obsolete by announcing a new app or feature that uses or incorporates their ideas. Some apps have simply buckled under the pressure, in some cases shutting down. They generally don’t sue Apple because of the difficulty and expense in fighting the tech giant—and the consequences they might face from being dependent on the platform.<\/p>\n

The imbalance of power between Apple and the apps on its platform could turn into a rare chink in the company’s armor as regulators and lawmakers put the dominance of big technology companies under an antitrust microscope.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

John Gruber<\/a>:<\/p>\n

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The thrust of the Post’s story is clear from its headline. But I don’t think it holds any water. What’s the alternative? For Apple never to add any features to the OS that exist in third-party apps?<\/p>\n

[…]<\/p>\n

When Apple implements a feature or app idea, they do it in a way that has the broadest possible appeal (or at least try to). The key to competing with Apple as a third-party developer is to focus on segments of the audience that want more than the basics.<\/p>\n

[…]<\/p>\n

The debate over what’s fair game for Apple (or Google, or Microsoft) to copy from third-party developers has nothing to do with app stores. A popular app is a popular app, and the platform vendors have always known all the popular apps.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

Every developer is, in a sense, worried about being Sherlocked. But I don’t think this is anywhere near the top of their list for what to change about the App Store. And, as Gruber says, it’s not clear what the solution would be, anyway. That said, I think app stores do change things a bit, in that the platform vendor can get better data sooner, without having to rely on indirect tactics<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

Previously:<\/p>\n