Microsoft Store: no astronomical pricing and paid open source or free copycat applications anymore

Microsoft up to date the Microsoft Retailer insurance policies on June 16, 2022. One of many adjustments prohibits publishers from charging charges for software program that’s open supply or usually out there without spending a dime. One other that irrationally excessive pricing is used on the shop.

If in case you have been to the Microsoft Retailer up to now couple of years, you could have seen that it’s residence to increasingly open supply and free merchandise. Whereas that may be a superb factor if the unique developer would have uploaded the apps and video games to the shop, it isn’t, as a result of the uploads have been made by third-parties.

Even worse is the truth that many of those packages usually are not freely out there, however out there as paid purposes. In different phrases: Microsoft clients must pay cash to purchase a Retailer model of an app that’s freely out there elsewhere. Generally, free and paid variations exist aspect by aspect within the Retailer.

Having to pay for a free utility is unhealthy sufficient, however this isn’t the one situation that customers could expertise once they make the acquisition. Updates could also be of concern as properly, because the copycat packages might not be up to date as typically or as rapidly because the supply purposes.

Microsoft notes below 10.8.7 within the up to date Microsoft Retailer Insurance policies:

In instances the place you identify the pricing to your product or in-app purchases, all pricing, together with gross sales or discounting, to your digital services or products should:

Adjust to all relevant legal guidelines, laws and regulatory pointers, together with with out limitation, the Federal Commerce Fee Guides Towards Misleading Pricing.

Not try and revenue from open-source or different software program that’s in any other case usually out there without spending a dime, nor be priced irrationally excessive relative to the options and performance offered by your product.

The up to date part confirms the brand new insurance policies. Open supply and free merchandise might not be bought anymore on the Microsoft Retailer, if usually out there without spending a dime, and publishers usually are not allowed to set irrationally excessive worth tags for his or her merchandise anymore. The builders of open supply and free purposes could cost for his or her merchandise on the Microsoft Retailer, the developer of Paint.internet does that, for instance.

If Microsoft enforces the insurance policies, quite a few purposes might be faraway from the Retailer. Builders might report purposes to Microsoft earlier than, however the brand new insurance policies give Microsoft management over utility listings and submissions immediately.

Now You: have you ever used the Microsoft Retailer up to now? (through Deskmodder)

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