by Dan Moren
Apple responds to Spotify
In an unsigned statement, Apple has rebutted Spotify’s claims of unfair treatment by suggesting that it’s the music service that wants to avoid the rules that everybody else plays by. The company also took aim at Spotify’s treatment of artists, though it claimed that the company is “suing music creators” when the truth is, of course, a little more complex.
While Apple’s arguments are largely compelling, especially in terms of Spotify essentially wanting all the benefits of the App Store platform without having to pay anything, this issue still isn’t a black-and-white case of one side right, the other side wrong. Apple isn’t an altruistic company anymore than Spotify is, and even if Spotify is in the wrong here, it still may be time for Apple to rethink its 30 percent rate.