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Has anyone ever claimed that iMessage is some kind of open network that anyone can build apps for? I think most people presume it's just as closed as the rest of iCloud.

I don't know what the legal status of the protocol per se is, but I don't think anyone thought that you would be allowed to utilize Apple's iMessage servers for your own app.

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The other closed networks had third-party clients historically, such as MSN or ICQ. It's not enough to say that it's closed, now we know it's both closed and blocked by Apple.

Apple could have said that no other clients really even tried before this case and it would have been true. And that will make a difference in the next antitrust lawsuit, that's one less argument Apple can use to defend themselves.

I'm sure most developers expected them to behave like this but now there's a factual proof valid even outside of our tech developers little circle, it's not just speculation.

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