Apple holds edge in app store trial despite nagging issues

Apple seems to be prevailing in an antitrust trial examining whether its mobile app store illegally skims profits from smaller companies

SAN RAMON, Calif. -- Apple seems to be prevailing in an antitrust trial examining whether its mobile app store illegally skims profits from smaller companies. But the tech giant's apparent edge comes at the cost of facing nagging questions about the financial vise it holds on people buying digital services on iPhones, iPads and iPods. If nothing else, the skirmish has sharpened the focus on the exclusive payment system that Apple has built into transactions occurring within apps installed on its family of mobile devices. Apple has collected a 15% to 30% commission on those in-app purchases for the past 13 years, fueling a moneymaking machine that has helped the company increase its market value from about $150 billion in 2008 to more than $2 trillion today.