subject: Subscription laws/wars: how Google and Apple's differ [print this page] Subscription laws/wars: how Google and Apple's differ
Subscription laws/wars: how Google and Apple's differ
Apple can be a bully at times and they upset content makers last week with what has been widely criticized as a hostile subscription publishingscheme. Google's announcement came a day after, timed perfectly to endorse a kind and generous image. Googland Apple subscription plans are poles apart; while Apple is under the scanner, Google is showering all favors to content providers by letting them keep 90 percent of revenue from subscription sales and retain control of consumer data.
Google and Apple have updated their content subscription services to allow publishers to charge consumers for digital content. Apple is forcing content providers to give 30% of the subscription revenue to Apple from all content sold through their Apps Store; whereas Google is more flexible and favorable to publishers, keeping only 10% of revenue from content sold on Android Market. The content range incorporates newspapers, magazines and music subscriptions, etc.
Google's One Pass is parallel with Apple's subscription plan, allowing consumers to use a single account to pay for subscribing to different publications and multiple plans. Google's One Pass also has an edge over Apple's by enabling publishers to charge for content in multiple ways such as subscriptions, metered access, freemium' content and single articles sales. Publishers can set their own terms and prices for digital content with Google's One Pass.
Google CEO Eric Schmidt added:"Our intention is to make no money on it We want the publishers to make all the money."
Google and Apple also have a distinctive approach towards content control and One Pass seems more liberal than Apple's. Apple will keep the user information to itself, and will give users an option to share their name, email address and zip code with the content publisher. Google will pass on the user information to publishers so that they can maintain their relationships with the consumers and have access to their data.
Content providers have already flipped the bird at Apple's subscription plan whilst Google seems quite content with their 10% cut and how warm and fuzzy that is making publishers feel about them.
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