Quote:
Originally Posted by pwjone1
According to the press, even linking to the web page so you can buy from there, is not being allowed, as of June. Apparently the rule has always been there, but was not enforced.
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There are two separate issues:
a) Sony tried to have their own in-app store. This has always been forbidden.
b) There are (largely unknown) new rules about requiring in-app purchases alongside out-of-app ones.
They are not connected.
Almost nothing is known about the new rules. The actual factual statements available (vs other people's opinion of what they meant) are very sparse, and could be read in different ways.
It is not known that they will apply to eBooks at all.
What is known is that they will apply to recurring subscriptions, such as newspapers and magazines.
It is not known whether they will only apply to those things is sold directly by the publishers (eg New York times, Conde Nast), or also to those provided through third-party portals (eg Zinio, PressReader).
My own opinion would be that this is Apple's attempt to dominate the digital magazine and newspaper world, and eBooks aren't really on the agenda.
Apple benefit from having the Kindle app on the iPad, as well as Amazon.
From the first paragraph of the article you quoted: "Apple today unveiled the details of its App Store subscription plan, and confirmed that it will demand its usual 30% from publishers who sell content within their apps."
It is a subscription plan, not a general purchasing plan.
Is it possible it could turn out to mean banning everything? Yes.
It is (IMO) even slightly likely? No.
Apple a lot of make money from selling hardware, and a small amount of money from selling content.