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Oh, I'm not confused. I just don't see it as a good argument. One could argue that using anti-competitive laws to prevent people from controlling their platfor

Oh, I'm not confused. I just don't see it as a good argument. One could argue that using anti-competitive laws to prevent people from controlling their platform for their own benefit, is in itself, anti-competitive. I use my car to get to work and run errands. You could argue that my car is my platform, which I use for my benefit. Is it anti-competitive of me to not go out of my way to pick up other people and take them to their jobs? Would that be covered in the "Sherman Anti Trust Act of 1890" (Yes, I am familiar with it...), as the act was intended? I doubt it. You are of course welcome to disagree. I'll be expecting a ride to the grocery store tomorrow, and even if you have errands to run, we need to run mine first, because if you prioritize running errands in your car over mine, you are being anti-competitive, and that isn't fair! If I went out of my way to prevent others from getting a car so that I kept an advantage over them, that is anti-competitive behavior. Anti-trust laws were written to protect the public marketplace. As far as I'm concerned, the Apple app store is a private marketplace that Apple can do with as it sees fit. They can delete it today if they want, but that's just me.

stale2002 6y ago
> One could argue that using anti-competitive laws to prevent people from controlling their platform This is a false view of how anti-trust law works. If a company is engaging in anti-competitive practices, and has significant market power, this is illegal. And the courts can absolutely force a company to engage or not engage in certain actions. Courts have already ruled on this. Just go look at the microsoft case. The courts forced microsoft to take certain actions. This is a settled, legal issue, lol. The courts can absolutely force companies to stop engaging in anti-competitive practices, according to the sherman anti-trust act. The courts can also force a company to sell to certain people and engage in certain business practices, if refusing to do is would be anti-competitive. > You could argue that my car is my platform Bad analogy. The reason why it is bad, is because a singular car is not a hundred billion dollar business. If, instead, you controlled 50% of the car industry, though, then the government could absolutely force you to do things, or not do things, if your actions are ruled anti-competitive, as according to the Sherman anti-trust act. > you are being anti-competitive, and that isn't fair! Anti competitive actions are only illegal if you have significant market power. 1 person, with a single car does not have significant market power. Instead, I would have to control 50% of a 100 billion dollar business, in order for it to be illegal to engage in anti-competitive behavior.

stale2002 6y ago

> One could argue that using anti-competitive laws to prevent people from controlling their platform This is a false view of how anti-trust law works. If a company is engaging in anti-competitive practices, and has significant market power, this is illegal. And the courts can absolutely force a company to engage or not engage in certain actions. Courts have already ruled on this. Just go look at the microsoft case. The courts forced microsoft to take certain actions. This is a settled, legal issue, lol. The courts can absolutely force companies to stop engaging in anti-competitive practices, according to the sherman anti-trust act. The courts can also force a company to sell to certain people and engage in certain business practices, if refusing to do is would be anti-competitive. > You could argue that my car is my platform Bad analogy. The reason why it is bad, is because a singular car is not a hundred billion dollar business. If, instead, you controlled 50% of the car industry, though, then the government could absolutely force you to do things, or not do things, if your actions are ruled anti-competitive, as according to the Sherman anti-trust act. > you are being anti-competitive, and that isn't fair! Anti competitive actions are only illegal if you have significant market power. 1 person, with a single car does not have significant market power. Instead, I would have to control 50% of a 100 billion dollar business, in order for it to be illegal to engage in anti-competitive behavior.