Filed under: Developer, App Store
App disqualified from App Store because it 'duplicates iTunes functionality' (updated)
An iPhone developer who created an app that manages and plays podcasts says the app was disqualified from the App Store because "it duplicates the functionality of the Podcast section of iTunes." That's right, iTunes for the desktop.
This opens up unsettling possibilities for other developers. There are many applications that duplicate the functionality of Apple software for both the desktop and mobile devices. For instance, there are many calculators that duplicate the functionality of Calculator. Twitterrific has a small browser built in, duplicating the functionality of Safari. NetNewsWire duplicates some RSS reading functionality in Mail for Mac OS X.
There's a well-defined slippery slope here. While Apple is within its rights to accept or reject any app into the App Store for whatever reasons it sees fit, its communication with the developer community leaves a lot to be desired. (We talked a little about this on last Sunday's Talkcast.) Even though the developer says he followed all the rules, there's still a chance that an app will simply fall ill of Apple's fickle fancy.
Will this latest move by Apple chill relations with developers? Or are the upsides still too great to ignore? Let us know what you think by leaving a comment.
Update: And commenters think I'm overreacting: Frasier Speirs, developer of Exposure, isn't writing any more iPhone apps because of this whole mummalum. [Via Metafilter.]
Thanks, Mike!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
j said 8:20PM on 9-12-2008
No offense, but that was a weak argumet, Mr. Palmer.
"For instance, there are many calculators that duplicate the functionality of Calculator. Twitterrific has a small browser built in, duplicating the functionality of Safari. NetNewsWire duplicates some RSS reading functionality in Mail for Mac OS X."
Seriously?
Apple didn't invent calculators or RSS readers, and it did give developers a special way to access Safari from within the app.
...
I think TUAW overreacts whenever an app is rejected.
Why haven't they overreacted to all the tip apps, sudoku apps, and to-do lists, of which 95% are crap, that are admitted?
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Hadrion said 8:32PM on 9-12-2008
Apple didn't invent Podcasts either, just made them popular. All a podcast is is an RSS feed linked to an audio file.
I've been dying for an App that does this, as I dont get to sync all the time, but usually have wifi access.
Robert Palmer said 8:34PM on 9-12-2008
By your same logic, Apple didn't invent podcasts, either. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_podcasting) How is that defensible?
This is the inherent problem with the means of distribution, though. Because it's entirely controlled by Apple, we're seeing developers unable to sell their applications because of what appears to be anti-competitive behavior.
And how is this overreacting? Writing about a subject on a low-traffic Friday afternoon is overreacting? If I bungee jumped from a freeway bridge holding a sign with the headline of this article, yes, that might be overreacting. This: not so much.
KeynoteKen said 8:38PM on 9-12-2008
Hmmm, a tip app is just an extension of the calculator. Those guys better watch out!!
Victor Agreda, Jr. said 12:50AM on 9-13-2008
"Why haven't they overreacted to all the tip apps, sudoku apps, and to-do lists, of which 95% are crap, that are admitted?"
You should really read 2chicks1mac, a great new blog about tip calculators. From the makers of TUAW:
http://www.tuaw.com/2008/09/05/2chicks1mac-tip-applications-hot-or-not/
Johnny Thrash said 11:46AM on 9-13-2008
Give Robert a break... at least he's not shoving all the jailbreak garbage down our throats and whining because he has to buy phone service when he buys a phone.
And yes... jumping off a bridge would be overreacting. lol
iomatic said 12:39PM on 9-15-2008
Meh.
Mobile Fotos is better anyway.
:)
Chris said 8:39PM on 9-12-2008
@Hadrion
Why would you need an app for this??
Save the rss feed page as a favourite. Load it up, click on the link and it downloads/caches to the iPhone and can be played back.
I use this quite often to listen to the 1UP podcasts at feed://www.1up.com/flat/Podcasts/1up_radio.xml
Why would you need an app to do this? especially if you have wifi access.
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hadrion said 1:49AM on 9-13-2008
i often do that, but it doesnt save my progress through the file, nor does it save it locally to listen offline.(like on a plane)
Mike said 8:44PM on 9-12-2008
In other news 2.1 fixed the problem when you install an app update it would dump it in any empty spot instead of where you originally placed it.
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Chris M said 8:43PM on 9-12-2008
Apple blocked this app and will block all future apps that enable you to download and SAVE an audio file to the iPhone unless the app is iTunes. That's the functionality that it is mimicking, that's why it was rejected. Apple does this to keep the Music companies on-side.
Plain and simple, they are not going to let you publish an app that will fuck with their business model.
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Robert Palmer said 8:47PM on 9-12-2008
And that's the nut-meat of it right there. Outstanding summary.
KeynoteKen said 9:00PM on 9-12-2008
Makes sense to me. It seems to me that something like this WOULD be spelled out somewhere in the documentation, though...
c. said 10:02PM on 9-12-2008
Seems Apple is setting themselves up for a restraint of trade suit. They can't handle a little competition.
And oh, btw it seems that the app described provides a function missing from other iPhone apps.
MoonMan said 10:28PM on 9-12-2008
Outstanding summary? That's your comment? Why the hell didn't you post that in your "article"?
Very weak Robert. And sloppy.
You make it out to be some huge conspiracy, when in fact, it's quite straight forward.
The "slippery slope" is the poor quality of blogging by TUAW staffers. It's been getting worse and worse.
Kree said 3:30AM on 9-13-2008
This is all in line with the New World Order. Just shut up an carry on watching TV.
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Scotty1024@me.com said 9:08PM on 9-12-2008
I have to agree on this one: Waiter! Another glass of Chardonnay for Mr. Palmer please.
Chill out dude or you're going to start sounding as shrill as Erica.
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WS said 9:14PM on 9-12-2008
How exactly do you have a "well-defined slippery slope?" That's one hell of an oxy-moron...
This is just another 'sensationalist' story meant to drive up traffic. One program got rejected because Apple is protected their intellectual property. With the recent release of iTunes 8, I am sure it's on the mind of a lot of Apple employees. Therefore, it may have simply been bad timing on the developers part. Where it may have squeezed through before (or well after) the launch of a major revision of iTunes, it has been caught by Apple.
This is merely a combination of ill-timing, not ill-will on Apple's part.
This well-defined slippery slope is extravagant writing by someone who simply likes to over-dramatize events.
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jbelkin said 9:30PM on 9-12-2008
I think Apple was just trying to be polite in saying 'more creativity' and less repeating of the main OS functions ... besides if Apple accepted every app, it'd be called WinCE (rimshot app) ... this way, you have to ask yourself - are you APPLE good enough ... and if you could guess that before you submit to Apple, what's the point of having standards or a dude at the velvet rope ...
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daveoc64 said 9:49PM on 9-12-2008
I really wanted something like this. It was frustrating being on Holiday and the only way for me to get a Podcast onto my iPod touch was with a 3rd party File app (transfer from my MacBook).
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