Spotify accuses Apple of impeding its fledgling audiobook business

Spotify launched its audiobook business just last month with 300,000 titles, but is now saying that Apple is engaging in "anticompetitive" behavior that is impinging the new business, the company wrote in a blog post. It said that Apple rejected its audiobook purchasing system three times due to a violation of its rules. To comply, it had to hide the price of the audiobooks and do sales outside of the main app via an email link.All of that makes it harder for Spotify to compete, as users can't easily compare prices. "[This] harms not only consumers, but, this time, also authors and publishers who now find themselves under Apple’s thumb." It's also highly inconvenient for buyers used to simply clicking on a link to buy an audiobook.Spotify's audiobooks could have easily been accepted if the company had followed the App Store rules, Apple told The New York Times. "We provided them with clear guidance on how to resolve the issue, and approved their app after they made changes that brought it into compliance," an Apple spokesperson said.Spotify could also have sold its audiobooks through the App Store's purchasing system, but Apple would then take a 30 percent cut — putting Spotify's audiobooks at a considerable disadvantage against Apple Books. "With our Audiobooks launch, Apple has once again proven just how brazen it is willing to be with its App Store rules, constantly shifting the goalposts to disadvantage their competitors," said Spotify CEO Daniel Ek.Spotify is already... Continue reading at 'Engadget'

[ Engadget | 2022-10-26 07:02:10 UTC ]
News tagged with: #app store #european commission #audiobook

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Kobo Rebuffs Apple, Will Build HTML5 Bookstore

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[ PC World | 2011-07-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon, B&N comply with Apple app rules

Written By: Bookseller Staff Publication Date: Tue, 26/07/2011 - 09:14 Amazon has followed digital manufacturer Kobo and retailer Branes & Noble in complying with Apple's app purchasing rules. The retailer removed the "shop” button that sent consumers to its site to buy ebooks on Monday... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Google Books Bows to New Apple App Store Rules

The Google Books iOS app is now in line with Apple's newly enforced rules that ban links bypassing Apple's own in-app purchase mechanism, which means Apple can retain its 30 percent cut. Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2011-07-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Apple imposes app purchasing rules

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Wylie accuses HC of "punitive" behaviour

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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E-textbooks are destroying the old publishing business model

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[ Betanews | 2011-07-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Media Week | 2011-07-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-07-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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David Roche launches new business

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Marie Claire's Anti-Apple Maneuver

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[ AdWeek | 2011-06-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Media Week | 2011-06-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ AdWeek | 2011-06-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ AllThingsD | 2011-06-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Folio Magazine | 2011-06-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ AdWeek | 2011-06-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Folio Magazine | 2011-06-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The New York Times | 2011-05-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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