09/23/2008, 5:00pm, EDT
Tuesday, September 23rd
Apple extends iPhone NDA, rejects Gmail app
Apple is looking to keep developers quiet on the subject of App Store rejections, according to claims. Reports say that Apple is now adding more labeling to rejection letters, appending them with the clause that "the information contained in this message is under non-disclosure." While discussion of details in iPhone development is generally restricted, numerous developers have complained publicly about rejections without repercussion.
The most recent of these is Angelo DiNardi, who says his MailWrangler app was rejected in late August. The app lets users quickly switch between multiple Gmail accounts without having to log in and out of each one. Apple refused to host the app, however, saying it "duplicates the functionality of the built-in iPhone application Mail without providing sufficient differentiation or added functionality," and that it could cause confusion. This mirrors reasons given for the blocking of Podcaster, which was said to mimic iTunes too closely.
Developers have in some cases accused Apple's SDK terms of being overly restrictive, preventing evolution in the coding community by blocking idea exchanges normally taken for granted. To circumvent the problem, a few developers have been paying each other token amounts to qualify as "sub-contractors."
Filed under: iPhone, developer, Apple
Other story tags: App Store, SDK
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OK, screw this fascist cr
ap.
Let the free market decide. This is total BS.
The free market
is called another phone!
seriously
I am starting to move AWAY from the apple platform. God damn control freaks, apple is dehumanizing the very value that got apple started in the first place, COLLABORATION! If I could punch apple where is hurts, I would. They are acting like the government. Can't wait to bring out my OS and then they will be kissing my ass to by out my organization. And I will have a big finger for them to sit on!
If apple is about protecting there interested, not about the people.... guess there is room for a bite of marketshare haha!
Android
If you don't like Apple's rules, develop for Android, or Mobile Windows. You have plenty of options.
This is nonsense
Paranoia at its height!
Fascists
I am a long time Apple user and promote their use when I can, but this kind of non-disclosure crap is totally uncalled for, and starts to make me wonder if I should continue to support them.
This does wreak of DHS bull that says you have no recourse. C'mon Apple. You are better than this.
Perhaps we need to arrange for developer free speech zones? Perhaps the iPhone development community could get together and pull their apps for a few weeks.
-1 Apple
Although I understand that the current app store is more of an "exclusive club", instead of jack of all trades, master of none, I wish there is a medium that will work.
If Apple makes sure that the app isn't malicious, market will work out what people like.
Binding?
I'm not a lawyer, but is a statement like that binding? Wouldn't they need to get a signed NDA from the recipient of the letter and THEN send them the letter? Sending the letter and then saying, "oh by the way, this letter has an NDA clause so you can't tell anyone else about it." That's like sending a letter that says, "By reading this letter, you agree to send me $500 in cash." And then claiming that we have a contract and you owe me $500.
Is the iPhone developer NDA agreement so broad and vague so as to apply to all communication that Apple might send you? That's absurd!
Lame
Wow - this is incredibly lame. Seems to me that Apple is being incredibly capricious with this.
As far as devs boycotting the apple store - not likely, given the recent coverage of the Trism developer netting $250k in a few months. The only viable boycott would come from users, but I suspect that the overwhelming majority of App Store customers have no idea what an NDA is and wouldn't care if you told them.
scary
I would have said Google and the Android thing had no chance against the iPhone, but this is the type of thing that could backfire and get a lot of people switching to the "non-fascist" alternative