Apple hits back at Spotify’s ‘public attacks’

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Spotify
Apple isn't happy with Spotify's claims.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple’s legal team has issued a scathing response to Spotify following its “public attacks” earlier this week.

The music streaming service accused Apple of “causing grave harm to Spotify and its customers” after its App Store review team rejected a recent Spotify update for iOS.

“We find it troubling that you are asking for exemptions to the rules we apply to all developers and are publicly resorting to rumors and half-truths about our service,” wrote Apple general counsel Bruce Sewell in the letter addressed to Spotify general counsel Horacio Gutierrez.

On Thursday, Spotify accused Apple of being “anticompetitive” after it rejected an app update that would have made it possible for users to subscribe to Spotify’s Premium plan through its own billing system — sidestepping Apple’s and its 30 percent cut.

“It continues a troubling pattern of behavior by Apple to exclude and diminish the competitiveness of Spotify on iOS and as a rival to Apple Music, particularly when seen against the backdrop of Apple’s previous anticompetitive conduct aimed at Spotify,” Gutierrez said.

Of course, Apple completely disagrees. Sewell argues that the company’s guidelines apply to all app developers, and that it does not offer “preferential treatment” to certain individuals.

“Our guidelines apply equally to all app developers, whether they are game developers, e-book sellers, video-streaming services or digital music distributors; and regardless of whether or not they compete against Apple,” the letter reads.

“We did not alter our behavior or our rules when we introduced our own music streaming service or when Spotify became a competitor,” Sewell continues. “Ironically, it is now Spotify that wants things to be different by asking for preferential treatment from Apple.”

The letter goes on to dismiss Spotify’s notion that Apple is being anticompetitive. Sewell is also keen to point out that Apple’s platform has generated “hundreds of millions of dollars in incremental revenue” for Spotify over the years.

Sewell finishes by adding that Apple would be “happy to facilitate an expeditious review and approval of your app as soon as you provide us with something that is compliant with the App Store’s rules.”

 

You can read that letter in full on BuzzFeed News.

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