WTO vaccine talks, Apple vs. Epic, Colosseum floor

Good morning, Quartz readers!

Here’s what you need to know

The US and the World Trade Organization discuss vaccines and intellectual property. The US faces calls to remove patent protection and allow the vital shots to be distributed more widely.

India’s biggest vaccine maker fled the country. Adar Poonawalla, CEO of the Serum Institute, is now in London. Meanwhile, India reported more than 400,000 daily Covid-19 cases.

The G7 meeting kicks off in London. Foreign ministers are meeting in person to discuss issues including climate finance targets and fighting disinformation.

Colombia withdrew a controversial tax reform plan. President Iván Duque’s televised statement followed several days of mass protests across the country.

Protesters disrupted the world’s biggest soccer game. Manchester United fans, angry with the team’s American owners, forced the postponement of the match against Liverpool.

Warren Buffet blasted Robinhood. He says the trading app is contributing to the casino-like nature of recent trading activity.

What to watch for

Apple and Fortnite-maker Epic Games are heading to court this week. The question at hand: Is Apple’s App Store a monopoly?

The backstory: Apple’s App Store is the only way iOS users can download software. Developers must follow Apple’s rules and use its payment system, which automatically takes Apple’s 30% bite out of each purchase. Such limitations have made things difficult for Epic, which since March 2020 has been adding new titles to its own Games Store in an effort to beef up its offerings to gamers.

Last August, Apple removed Fortnite from the App store after Epic updated the game to give users the option to pay Epic directly. Epic responded with a PR campaign, a hashtag, a 60-page legal complaint, and a video parody of one of Apple’s most famous ads.

How it’ll go down: Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who will decide the case, has made it clear she’s not sympathetic to Epic, chiding the firm for knowingly violating Apple’s rules.

Charting India’s impact on African vaccinations

Covid-19 is a global disease, and India’s crisis is the world’s crisis. India’s devastating second wave is already impacting Africa.

In March, Covax, the global vaccine-sharing initiative, confirmed its plans to allocate the AstraZeneca vaccine to African countries, which make up 40 of the 64 low-income countries being supported by the initiative.

That plan came to a grinding halt when the Serum Institute of India restricted exports of vaccines towards the end of March, as a more virulent wave of Covid-19 swept through the country.  With some of the vials already distributed, vaccine programs on the continent have been thrown into disarray, as countries scramble to delay and find supplies for a second dose.

What kind of public listing are you?

IPOs have traditionally been a black box, with Wall Street in charge of who gets shares at what price. Entrepreneurs complain that banks reward their clients with sweetheart deals at the issuing company’s expense. So they’re turning to alternatives. Which alternative is right for you based on your personality?

🎲 You’re edgy and like to take chances: You’re a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC)—basically a big pot of money looking for an acquisition target. You’re a little unusual and risky, but that’s sexy right? Let’s roll the dice.

🚀 You have big ambitions but it takes time to get to know you: You’re a traditional listing. You might be the next mega-cap stock, but you’re not a consumer name everyone already knows. Taking some time to explain your story to investors could be worth the time and money.

👯 Everybody knows you, everybody loves you, and you’re a big deal: You’re a direct listing. As a company people already love and use regularly, you don’t need to hold investors’ hands. They know who you are and are salivating over your shares.

👶 You don’t like scrutiny and never want to grow up: You should stay in the private market. This way you don’t have to deal with a share price that twitches on every scrap of news, cope with pesky short sellers, or show the entire world your dirty laundry via regular financial statements.

✦ Read all about the new ways companies are going public in this week’s field guide, the future of the IPO. Not a member yet? Try it free for a week!

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Surprising discoveries

“Disaster Girl” made $500,000 on an NFT. College senior Zoe Roth will use the money to pay off student loans and donate to charity.

Streams and lakes are suing for their rights. Wilde Cypress Branch, Boggy Branch, Crosby Island Marsh, Lake Hart, and Lake Mary Jane are attempting to stop a Florida housing development.

A new bridge in Portugal will make you afraid of heights. The 1,700-foot (500-meter) structure claims to be the longest pedestrian bridge in the world, and, yes, it hangs over a canyon.

Kamala Harris will be the first US vice president to appear in Madame Tussaud’s. No luck with the Chucks—her wax replica will don the famous purple suit.

When in Rome. The Colosseum is getting a $22 million floor, to allow visitors to see the 2000-year-old monument from its center.

Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, space capsules, and wax politicians to hi@qz.com. Get the most out of Quartz by downloading our iOS app and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Hasit Shah, Mary Hui, Jane Li, John Detrixhe, Alexandra Ossola, and Jordan Lebeau.