If a law proposed on Tusday to the Russian State Duma gets enacted, then Apple would only be able to collect a 20% commission on software sold through the App Store. And it would force Apple to allow iPhone users to install apps from other software stores.
The same law applies to Google’s Android software store.
Russian law proposes sweeping changes to Apple App Store
The draft legislation was proposed by Fedot Tumusov. On Twitter the lawmaker said, “How to abolish Apple’s monopoly: submitted a bill to the State Duma restricting the company’s commission and unblocking the installation of third-party applications.” (Machine translation)
Как отменить монополию Apple: внес в Госдуму законопроект. ограничивающий комиссию компании и разблокирующий установку сторонних приложений. https://t.co/xuejgUcuR6
— Федот Тумусов (@FedotTumusov) September 1, 2020
Both Apple and Google currently charge 30% commissions on software sales in their respective stores, but that would be capped at 20%. In addition, Tumusov proposes that a third of the commissions collected by Apple and Google from Russian users go into a fund to train Russian software developers.
Tumusov is the First Deputy Head of the Just Russia faction in the State Duma.
His proposed changes include many of the ones that many Apple critics are asking for. For example, Epic Games, creator of Fortnite, is embroiled in a high-profile legal fight with the iPhone-maker. Like the Russian lawmaker, this software developer claims Apple’s control of of iOS amounts to a monopoly, and is demanding its own app store in which it doesn’t have to pay any commission at all.
And Spotify has complained to the EU about Apple’s App Store commissions, resulting in an investigation by the European Commission.
Via: Reuters
