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Comment by mmastrac | Hacker News Reader

A $3T monopolist sending scary C&D letters tends to get the attention of the government.

If it was obviously bogus (think SLAPP territory) then that would make sense, but I don't think it is as likely to get their attention if the offending behavior can reasonably be classified as a potential violation of the CFAA.

(Whether it is a violation or not, I certainly couldn't say, but my point being that there is a reasonable good faith interpretation of the behavior that would not raise eyebrows.)

what is SLAPP in this context?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_lawsuit_against_publ...

Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation. In other words, "Sue somebody when they criticize you, hoping the legal expense will make them stop." This isn't exactly the same scenario, but would be similar (in the poster's hypothetical) in that it was a lawsuit meant to intimidate rather than to seek justice.

The problem is that Apple has valid case, because these guys are making money with the app, by using Apple’s private backend services without permission.

I'm sure they're quaking in their boots over the prospect of paying a $2m fine a decade from now.

That decade of lawyer fees is much more than $2m.

What is your evidence for this assertion?

Since when? What country?

Eh, just being really big isn't going to be enough by itself. Apple has just a bit over half the market, they're definitely not a monopoly. The gov't won't get involved.

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