Sideloading Apps: Mandating That Software Platforms Allow It Will Cost Copyright Owners and Their Customers
In general, mobile device users in the United States download their apps through app stores that come preinstalled on their devices’ operating systems. For most Americans, that means they are shopping on the Apple App Store on iOS, or the Google Play store on Android. Operating systems and app stores come bundled together so that the operating system that runs the device can enforce the app store’s terms of service and prevent unapproved apps from accessing device controls and consumer [...]
Member Spotlight: Cubik Innovation
Cubik Innovation, based in Bristol, United Kingdom (UK), helps companies make their electronic product concepts a reality. Managing director Paul Mullen and his team assist their customers in bringing innovative products to market by providing full support from specification and design, to prototype and software, and finally test and production. Specialising in design and development, members of the Cubik Innovation team are problem solvers and love an interesting challenge. This is perfectly demonstrated by a recent project they worked on, [...]
State of the European App Union
On 15 September 2021 the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, delivered the State of the Union address. Every year in September, the Commission president takes stock of the achievements of the past year and presents the priorities for the year ahead. This year, she not only looked back at a year where the COVID-19 crisis took up a large part of the European Union (EU) agenda, but she also reflected more specifically on the Digital Single [...]
The Tech Terms You Need to Know to Understand Standard-Essential Patents (SEPs)
We understand that patent and intellectual property (IP) law can be difficult, confusing, and – dare we say it – a bit dull. However, it is crucial that companies increase their understanding of these issues because IP is the lifeblood of tech businesses – especially for small companies. It enables companies to protect their inventions and allows innovators to build on the ideas of others. Several major court cases and renewed interest from governments in the European Union, United Kingdom, [...]
ACT | The App Association Statement on Decision in Epic v. Apple
Today, ACT | The App Association released a statement from president Morgan Reed on a decision in Epic v. Apple by the Ninth Circuit: "Today’s decision illustrates Apple is not a monopolist and keeps in place the services and benefits our members rely on to compete on a global scale. Importantly, the order does not require Apple to allow sideloading of potentially fraudulent or harmful software. While the changes around communications with customers may benefit some developers, they still pose a risk [...]
Member Spotlight: Bridge The Gaps
The digital technologies created within the app economy span across nearly every industry in the global economy and transform the way society functions daily. And that is not an exaggeration - in 2019, 77 percent of the European population reported daily internet use. Fast forward to 2021, and we can safely assume this number increased with the reliance on technology to live, work, and play almost exclusively through apps and technology during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite our current reliance on [...]