and yet this has been happening long before Apple and App Stores were a thing, and nobody has been sued to stop it.

Also, as some other comment has pointed out, the % Apple takes is from their role as one manager. Ask an actor or sports ball player what happens if they don't pay their manager the % owed.

I just haven't figured out why software devs think they are so special that they don't have to pay to play. I have seen no honest answers to this other than Apple === BAD. Devs are pretty much "all monies are belong to us"

Whether it is fair or not is for the App store developers to work out, I'm not one of them and as long as these are walled gardens I never will be.