View this article at: http://www.macnn.com/articles/08/08/27/devs.confront.iphone.sdk/
Wednesday, Aug 27, 2008 1:30pm
Developers working around iPhone SDK restrictions
Developers are finding ways to cope with the harsh restrictions of Apple's iPhone SDK, writes the LA Times. The terms of the SDK include a strict non-disclosure agreement, which has generally been interpreted to mean that developers cannot discuss the SDK tools with people outside of an app's creative team, whether through e-mail, blogs, discussion boards or conferences. "We can't talk about our problems," says Jeffrey Long, a developer working on a satellite radio app. "At the same time, we can't talk about the problems we've fixed."

The problem is said to extend to writers, some of whom have already completed guides for the SDK, having mistakenly anticipated a removal of the NDA following July 11th. "This incredible top-down control is not having a good effect on the developer community," comments Erica Sadun, writer of the unpublished iPhone Developer's Cookbook.

To avoid any legal threats, some people are said to be paying each other $1, and classifying themselves as "sub-contractors" to help their peers. Some other developers have decided to risk a confrontation with Apple, such as WordPress, which has published code as a part of its open-source policy. Apple has made no comment on the group's actions.