The war between streaming service Spotify and Apple just got saltier. While the former had alleged earlier in the week that an update to their platform had been rejected by the App Store on unfair competitive grounds, the tech giant has now clapped back and denied its competitor's claims, arguing that it's actually Spotify that is seeking "preferential treatment."
As previously reported, a letter from Spotify's legal counsel Horacio Gutierrez sent to his Apple contemporary, Bruce Sewell, had accused Apple of refusing Spotify's most recent mobile update. It also alleged that it was being bullied into using the App Store's billing system, off which Apple makes money. He had called all of this a "serious concern," believing that Apple was using its "approval process as a weapon to harm competitors."
Sewell has now issued a rebuttal, explaining that Apple employs the same measures for all outside companies using its iOS and App Store, "whether they are game developers, e-book sellers, video-streaming services or digital music distributors." To exempt Spotify from this would be unfair to the other business.
"We find it troubling that you are asking for exemptions to the rules we apply to all developers and are publicly resorting to rumors and half-truths about our service," Sewell wrote in his letter [via BuzzFeed].
He added: "We did not alter our behavior or our rules when we introduced our own music streaming service or when Spotify became a competitor. Ironically, it is now Spotify that wants things to be different by asking for preferential treatment from Apple."
Spotify has not yet responded to Apple's rebuttal.
Outside of the war of words between the two companies, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren jumped into the fray this week when she criticized and accused Apple Music of trying to create an unfair technological monopoly with the business world.
As previously reported, a letter from Spotify's legal counsel Horacio Gutierrez sent to his Apple contemporary, Bruce Sewell, had accused Apple of refusing Spotify's most recent mobile update. It also alleged that it was being bullied into using the App Store's billing system, off which Apple makes money. He had called all of this a "serious concern," believing that Apple was using its "approval process as a weapon to harm competitors."
Sewell has now issued a rebuttal, explaining that Apple employs the same measures for all outside companies using its iOS and App Store, "whether they are game developers, e-book sellers, video-streaming services or digital music distributors." To exempt Spotify from this would be unfair to the other business.
"We find it troubling that you are asking for exemptions to the rules we apply to all developers and are publicly resorting to rumors and half-truths about our service," Sewell wrote in his letter [via BuzzFeed].
He added: "We did not alter our behavior or our rules when we introduced our own music streaming service or when Spotify became a competitor. Ironically, it is now Spotify that wants things to be different by asking for preferential treatment from Apple."
Spotify has not yet responded to Apple's rebuttal.
Outside of the war of words between the two companies, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren jumped into the fray this week when she criticized and accused Apple Music of trying to create an unfair technological monopoly with the business world.