Author: Florian Mueller
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Apple’s FRAND-centric litigation strategy against the EU’s DMA protects its monopoly rents for years
Based on further analysis, games fray is now in a position to explain Apple’s litigation strategy with a view to foreseeable DMA enforcement efforts by the European Commission and/or private parties. To enable effective competition, it will be inevitable to determine so-called FRAND rates.
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No sideloading, no viable payment alternatives, no truly competitive app stores: Apple’s new EU rules render Digital Markets Act pointless
Contary to widespread misbelieve and misreporting, Apple is not really opening up app distribution in the EU. Plus ça change… The simplest example of misinformation: the truth is that sideloading isn’t allowed.
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FTC wants to limit Microsoft’s time to ask Sony questions to 1.5 hours (not 3.5), same with Ubisoft, but wants 4 hours (not 3.5) for itself
The FTC notes that Microsoft’s motion to reopen discovery
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Saber-rattling: The Pokémon Company threatens potential litigation over Palworld—apparently unsure of merits
Without naming Palworld but uniquely describing it, the Pokémon Company has declared its intent to analyze potential intellectual property infringement claims over Palworld. This article interprets that statement and discusses hypothetical enforcement strategies as well as whether Pocket Pair could now take action against the Pokémon Company.
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Game and other app makers can take billions of dollars away from Apple every year with this strategy, leveraging Epic’s U.S. injunction
While Apple’s new link and button rules for apps in the U.S. market are hard to overcome, there is a workaround that games fray has identified and describes in this article.
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Apple’s plan for compliance with Epic’s U.S. injunction makes only link-free promotions of alternative purchasing options viable
Apple will tax purchases made on external websites at a rate of 27% (or 12% for small developers) if developers make an attempt to benefit from Epic’s U.S. anti-anti-steering injunction. An attempt that will be futile for various other reasons as well.
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Microsoft makes new push to quiz (and impeach) Sony on 10-year Call of Duty deal and to join Ubisoft’s deposition: FTC/ABK
As predicted by games fray, Microsoft’s lawyers filed a motion on Tuesday to reopen discovery in the FTC’s in-house proceedings concerning the acquisition of Activision Blizzard. They wish to join the depositions of Sony (February 8) and Ubisoft (possibly January 31).
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Epic’s California injunction against Apple’s anti-steering rule takes effect as Supreme Court denies both parties’ petitions
The Supreme Court of the United States has denied both Epic Games’ and Apple’s motions for review of the decision in their App Store litigation. An injunction against Apple under California law is now taking effect.
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Steam’s new AI rules: cross-reference to ai fray
This article merely points to an article on (sibling site) ai fray discussing Valve’s new rules for the use of AI-generated content in games submitted for distribution via Steam.
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FTC judge puts procedure over substance as he denies Microsoft further discovery of Sony’s stance on 10-year CoD deal
The FTC’s in-house judge denied a motion by Microsoft to require Sony to come clean on how the PlayStation maker really views the 10-year Call of Duty deal it signed in July.