| jeffweico | 02-06-2016 11:14 PM |
Re: Apple proecting or having a monopoly
Of course they are going to do this. Printer manufacturers added a microchip to each ink cartridge in an attempt to stop the sale of compatible cartridges. Then they sued the manufacturers of compatible ink, complaining that they violated the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).
Their argument was that the DMCA prohibited circumventing any type of security device and that the compatible ink companies were in violation of that law.
Luckily, the judge in that case threw it out, saying that the purpose of that law was to protect purely intellectual property, such as movies and music and was not meant to give the sellers of physical goods a monopoly.
Textbook publishers have not only sued to stop the importation of less expensive versions of their books, but they also added an online component to their books, and the code can only be used once. The idea being to cripple the sale of used textbooks. That way, they can keep charging $399 (and up) for a textbook.
Hedge funds buy pharmaceutical companies that manufacture niche drugs, most of which have been around for decades, and then jack up the prices by 5,000% to make FAT PROFITS! Martin Shkreli did NOT invent this tactic - it has been used for years. But his was the one that caught people's attention. This will keep happening, although Mr. Shkreli probably won't be participating in it personally.
I expect nothing less from corporations. This is the age of "Gotcha! Capitalism" where trickery has replaced innovation in the pursuit of profits. It is cheaper and easier to screw your current customers than to come up with innovative new products and services that people will buy. Apple has probably hit the peak with their iPhones, so now is the time for them to come up with new ways to make more money off of each customer. It is sleazy, but it works. | 
