I think it is missing the point - the protests are not against digital innovation, as much as Uber would like to point so. Not about innovation per se, but abo

I think it is missing the point - the protests are not against digital innovation, as much as Uber would like to point so. Not about innovation per se, but about recognizing that even with all that internet stuff added, Uber basically still runs a taxi service, just like listening to an audio broadcast over the internet is still radio. Uber is not about "sharing rides", it's a regular business. The essential difference between Uber and the other apps is that Uber uses unlicensed drivers, while the other apps use licensed drivers. Taxi companies in Germany need two kinds of licenses: * Each driver must have a drivers license that allows commercial transportation of passengers. The regular drivers license doesn't cover transporting people for profit. If you do it anyways, you're essentially driving without a license, which voids your car insurance. Apparently, passengers don't even have to pay unlicensed drivers, because the license is required for transportation contracts to be valid. According to Wikipedia, the commercial license costs about EUR 400 for 5 years and requires a medical checkup, clean driving and criminal records, and you have to prove your knowledge of the place you're going to drive at. "Uber Black" drivers have such a commercial license. "Uber Pop" drivers don't, they just need a clean criminal record. So they are probably not insured if they drive for profit. * Each taxi company needs a concession that grants the right to run a taxi service, but also requires the company to fulfill its public role: operate the service day and night, don't decline any passengers (e.g. in order to wait for more profitable destinations), and take the official rate. Yes, prices are regulated, probably to protect both passengers and drivers. To get a concession, you have to prove that you are able to run a taxi / rental car company according to the law, and pay a small fee for each of your cars. It's not expensive, but the number of concessions in each city is limited, which is why there's a "black market" in some places. You can't sell concessions, but you can offer willing drivers a shortcut around the waiting list by selling them shares of your company [1]. Uber doesn't have a concession, they want to be a bit more flexible with regards to privileges and rights. Real markets are inefficient, and "disrupting" them can also mean that customers might be worse off in the future. For instance, when no real taxis are left, and Uber decides that its service should be more expensive in bad weather... [2] Or when Uber doesn't want to pick you up because of your bad rating, but there is no other way for you to get home. [1] http://www.derwesten.de/politik/so-funktioniert-der-betrug-im-taxigewerbe-in-koeln-id4187250.html http://www.derwesten.de/politik/so-funktioniert-der-betrug-i... [2] http://www.theverge.com/2013/12/18/5221428/uber-surge-pricing-vs-price-gouging-law http://www.theverge.com/2013/12/18/5221428/uber-surge-pricin...