Apple and Google Under Antitrust Scrutiny in Japan for Mobile OS (nikkei.com) 9
Japan's Fair Trade Commission will investigate whether Apple and Google are leveraging their dominance in the smartphone operating system market to eliminate competition and severely limit options for consumers. From a report: The study will involve interviews and surveys with OS operators, app developers and smartphone users, commission Secretary-General Shuichi Sugahisa told reporters Wednesday. The initiative will explore market conditions not only for smartphones, but for smartwatches and other wearables. The antitrust watchdog will compile a report outlining OS market structure and the reason why competition has remained static. The commission will work with the central government's Digital Market Competition Council, which is moving forward with its own market probe. Practices found to be anticompetitive will be itemized in the report, along with possible violations of Japan's law against monopolies. In February, the government implemented the Act on Improving Transparency and Fairness of Digital Platforms. If officials decide that the law applies to the OS market, OS operators will be told to submit regular reports on transactions to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. In Japan, Apple's iOS commands a nearly 70% share among smartphone operating systems while Android's share stands at 30%. Any developer of apps -- whether they specialize in music, streaming videos, e-books or mobile games -- need to match the software with specifications of the operating systems if they want to appear on smartphones.
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Could ./ just please just ban the loser already?
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This one and the internet whiner that posts novel length diatribes about how shitty everything is could definitely disappear without anybody giving a toss. But that would require admins that give slightly more than half a shit about the place. And it's pretty obvious that hasn't been the case in a very long time.
The kings is dead long live the king (Score:2)
I am not too surprised. Japan, was the leader in mobile technology for a long time. With Japanese phones being light years ahead of what was available in America or Europe.
However Apple and Google, had caught up with Japan, and had exceeded them. So Japanese tech companies are outdated in comparison. Other than trying to innovate more, it is just easier to sue them.
We in America do the same with other companies, claiming national security, where the real case is they are just doing a better job at makin
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Cool story. I suppose you're going to make the same argument about phones from the EU and phones from Australia and phones from ... well America itself?
Here's a hint: When *all* regulators are clamping down on a company, maybe there's not some underhanded conspiracy about butthurt countries losing market share, and maybe its the company itself that is doing something wrong.
Second hint: America isn't doing the same with other companies. It's doing the same with Apple and Google.
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If only governments would stop hindering small companies like Apple, Google and Microsoft, they could take over the world a lot more rapidly.
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Countries will regulate bases on their self interest.
The companies that are boosting their economies will have a blind eye, and will be allowed to create a lot of havoc. While the company that is from a different country, will pressed on like a hawk.
You don't see Sony in the story. Sony isn't the greatest company either.
Kind of late? (Score:2)
This kind of investigation is about 10 years too late for Japan. They use to have a fairly robust market in the cell phone industry with tons of different types of phones out there. It's not a shocker why they died though -- no app competition.
Back in 2010 I was in Japan as a student for a year and picked up a small relatively cheap flip phone. Iphones were floating around by that point and there were a few Android phones too I think, but they were few in Japan. I was more developer minded by this point and