Some potential trouble for the Microsoft Open AAI partnership. In a new report, the Wall Street Journal details difficult negotiations between the two parties on OpenAI's push to convert to a for-profit company. The Journal says that things have gotten so tense that OpenAI executives cons have considered accusing Microsoft of anti-competitive behavior.It's called the nuclear option on this. the thing that would probably blow up their re relationship for forever. Another issue concerns Microsoft's access to ...

Core Viewpoint - A federal judge has accused Apple of interfering with competition in its App Store, potentially warranting criminal charges due to its actions to maintain high commission revenues [3][4]. Legal Findings - US District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers found that Apple "willfully" violated an injunction aimed at reducing its control over the App Store payment system, creating new barriers to competition [4][6]. - The judge stated that Apple's actions demonstrated a gross miscalculation of the court's tolerance for such insubordination [4]. Commission Structure - The judge noted that Apple's 30% commission on App Store sales resulted in "supracompetitive operating margins," which were deemed anticompetitive [6]. - Apple's response to the injunction included imposing new commissions on purchases made through external links and creating "scare screens" to deter users from buying outside the App Store [6][7]. Revenue Implications - The ruling highlighted that Apple sought to maintain a revenue stream worth billions in direct defiance of the court's injunction [7]. - The judge indicated that Apple's internal documents revealed a clear understanding of its anticompetitive actions [7]. Industry Reactions - An Apple spokesperson expressed strong disagreement with the ruling and announced plans to appeal, while also indicating compliance with the decision [8]. - Epic Games' CEO Tim Sweeney suggested a "peace proposal" to drop litigation if Apple extends its "Apple-tax-free framework" globally [8].

A person walks out of an Apple store in Beijing, China, on April 9, 2025.Apple willfully violated and ignored a 2021 decision that came out of the Epic Games case, judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said in a decision on Wednesday.She wrote that Apple's Vice President of Finance Alex Roman "outright lied" to the court about when Apple had decided to levy a 27% fee on some purchases linked to its App Store."Neither Apple, nor its counsel, corrected the, now obvious, lies," Rogers wrote, saying that she considers A ...