NYT claimed app commercialized its feed

Having only been absent since late Monday, Pulse is already back on sale at the App Store. The iPad app displays RSS feeds in a graphical grid, and had been a popular download prior to its disappearing. It was temporarily pulled following a complaint by the New York Times, alleging that the app infringed on the newspaper's rights.

Why the app would return -- unchanged -- is unclear, but it is likely a result of Apple's WWDC 2010 keynote. Pulse was highlighted during the event by the company's CEO, Steve Jobs, and the app's sudden absence may have proven an embarrassment to both Jobs and the company's marketing plans. During the keynote, Jobs made a point of countering criticism of App Store rejection policies.

The Times' objection turns out to have been based on the terms of use for its RSS feeds. There language insists that the feeds be used only for non-commercial purposes, theoretically in conflict with Pulse's $4 pricetag. The paper was also upset about developers using its content to promote a third-party app, and moreover the display of nytimes.com within an in-app browser, instead of as its own entity.

by MacNN Staff