According to a government panel, Japan wants to increase competition in the market for smartphone app payments, which is now dominated by Apple and Google, by outlawing the practise of big app store operators requiring software developers to use their own payment systems.
Major providers of smartphone operating systems (OS), according to the panel's final report, should be required to give customers secure alternatives to their own app stores for users to download apps.
Japan's mobile OS market is roughly split between Apple's iOS and Google's Android.
Apple only permits consumers to download iPhone apps from its own app store, while Google and Apple both demand that software developers utilise proprietary payment mechanisms with up to 30% commissions.
The Asahi Shimbun newspaper said on Saturday that the government intends to introduce a related law to parliament as early as next year. The article stated that appropriate legislative steps will be examined next.
Yasutoshi Nishimura, the minister of industry, and Shigeyuki Goto, the minister of economy, are participants on the government panel.
(Source:www.usnews.com)
Major providers of smartphone operating systems (OS), according to the panel's final report, should be required to give customers secure alternatives to their own app stores for users to download apps.
Japan's mobile OS market is roughly split between Apple's iOS and Google's Android.
Apple only permits consumers to download iPhone apps from its own app store, while Google and Apple both demand that software developers utilise proprietary payment mechanisms with up to 30% commissions.
The Asahi Shimbun newspaper said on Saturday that the government intends to introduce a related law to parliament as early as next year. The article stated that appropriate legislative steps will be examined next.
Yasutoshi Nishimura, the minister of industry, and Shigeyuki Goto, the minister of economy, are participants on the government panel.
(Source:www.usnews.com)
