Credit:
Some publishing industry analysts are aghast at the proposal, claiming the rate is much too steep and the terms too strict. I don't disagree: There's no doubt that Apple is using its dominant position in digital distribution to strong-arm publishers. But the fact that the tech giant can propose such onerous terms without blinking points to the fact that the battle is already lost: The balance of power has permanently, irreversibly shifted from the media companies to the tech firms.
That's the topic of my CNN column this week.