Apple Announces App Store Small Business Program

30% is a case for antitrust given how big Apple App Store today is. 15% seems reasonable, 10% would be ideal.

Though it should be 15% for everybody, no artificial caps. Moreover, I believe once you become a platform there should be an independent nano-courthouse where you can appeal.

Today being rejected by Apple, Amazon, or Google platform is equivalent to the economical death penalty for many individuals.

It should be possible to pay $100 by individuals and appeal to an independent nano-courthouse if the original platform rejects or blocks you. If you win, the appeal fee is refunded and the platform has to cover the cost. If you lose, your $100 is gone.

Fee could be adjusted to your earnings, but basic mechanism should stay the same.

You strategy played out very well in pre 2008 days with Windows Mobile. It also played out very well for Microsoft paying developers to create apps for Windows Phone, before Microsoft admitted defeat and left the phone market they were in since 1996.

About the 15%.

Have you tried running a business to make a living?

Have you tried building something yourself?

Have you tried selling it in 155 countries?

Have you tried getting access to a market of 1+ billion people?

Have you tried monitoring you don't breach regulations and tax thresholds in 155 countries?

Have you tried registering for VAT MOSS in one of the EU countries?

Have you tried implementing IP geo-location for your European customers, to charge a correct VAT amount out of 27 options?

> about the 15%

Yeah, about that. As it is, it’s monopoly rent (and before you bring up consoles - yes, there too). Nothing more, nothing less. Personally, I wouldn’t be happy with 5% or 1% either, because the point is not how you measure the tax, but the tax itself and the fact that it’s not set by the market. Once they allow third-party appstores they can charge 50% for all I care.

Was BlackBerry undone by rebuilding the platform 3 times from scratch too? And Symbian too?

> Paying developers to make apps is just fine, if done well.

Of course. But it hasn't been done well in the mobile world, has it? So why is it relevant here?

I remember pre 2008 when carriers controlled apps on phones. I also remember xda-developers days. Discoverability, distribution and quality was disaster compared to what we have today. And do you know what developers earned from their applications compared to today?

People take marketplaces and what has been done in the last 10 years for granted.