Sure, most (if not all) software comes with a licence. Maybe I'm not using the best terminology. Maybe I mean "subscribing to", although that implies regular payment. Either way, what I'm referring to is the fact that Apple becomes a point in the critical path to just running your software. Whether intentional, or accidental, Apple can remotely prevent you from running the software you've paid for (e.g. [1]).
And I'm not even beginning to cover the terrible App Store app itself or the enormous cut Apple takes from independent developers.
Isn't almost all software licensed rather than ownership sold? This isn't unique to the App Store.