Filed under: Developer, iPhone, App Store, SDK
iPhone NDA dropped, developers rejoice
Apple has dropped the non-disclosure agreement ([effin'] NDA) for released iPhone software.
In a statement to developers on its website, Apple said they put the NDA in place because the iPhone OS includes proprietary Apple software they wanted to protect.
"However, the NDA has created too much of a burden on developers, authors and others interested in helping further the iPhone's success, so we are dropping it for released software," the statement read.
Developers will receive a new agreement, sans-NDA, covering released software within a week or so. Unreleased software and features will remain under NDA until they are released, according to the statement.
Apple also thanked everyone who provided "constructive feedback" on the issue.
The full text, after the jump, and an update.
[Via @chockenberry.]
To Our Developers
We have decided to drop the non-disclosure agreement (NDA) for released iPhone software.
We put the NDA in place because the iPhone OS includes many Apple inventions and innovations that we would like to protect, so that others don't steal our work. It has happened before. While we have filed for hundreds of patents on iPhone technology, the NDA added yet another level of protection. We put it in place as one more way to help protect the iPhone from being ripped off by others.
However, the NDA has created too much of a burden on developers, authors and others interested in helping further the iPhone's success, so we are dropping it for released software. Developers will receive a new agreement without an NDA covering released software within a week or so. Please note that unreleased software and features will remain under NDA until they are released.
Thanks to everyone who provided us constructive feedback on this matter.
Update: Craig Hockenberry of the Iconfactory, and developer of Twitterrific, has some special source code to share in celebration of this momentous occasion. You can tell he's been saving this one up.
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Zachary Hinchliffe said 11:29AM on 10-01-2008
GREAT HOOLAY!
Reply
bryon brock said 3:54PM on 10-01-2008
alright! about freakin time. http://www.iphone-hacks.com
GW said 11:13AM on 10-17-2008
Hi,
Yes Apple did scrap the NDA but a number of developers and extremely agitated and angered by Apple's policies. Please read the following discussion and it would be good to have an article on this to make Apple change their annoying policies:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1735488&tstart=0&start=50
Josh said 11:30AM on 10-01-2008
Does this mean that the couple of books that are supposedly "ready to print" should be out soon?
Would love to get a goo real reference...
Reply
Josh said 11:32AM on 10-01-2008
By the way, their reasoning is still idiotic... all anyone had to do to "steal" anything from the publicly released software was signup (for free) for the freaking sdk...
ct said 12:03PM on 10-01-2008
in all truth, i probably learned more by trying to figure out stuff myself due to the NDA preventing lots of readily found info on the web than i care to admit.
though it did make some seemingly obvious and easy bugs extremely frustrating to track down.
robb said 1:14PM on 10-01-2008
And sign an NDA.
If you've signed an NDA then go and use that information to make your own product, you're begging for a lawsuit.
h said 4:48PM on 10-01-2008
@Josh: more importantly, will Erica stop doing flamebait and misinforming articles now that she can sell her books?
Ebel3003 said 11:32AM on 10-01-2008
Awesome! I hope this means books!
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Adam said 11:38AM on 10-01-2008
Indeed it does! I think this is the reason Apple dropped the NDA. They NEED authors to write comprehensive guides on the SDK
So......when's your book coming out Erica?
Alex said 11:35AM on 10-01-2008
@Josh it may have been possible to pinch ideas from the publicly released software, but the NDA gave Apple the option to take legal action against you for doing so.
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Josh said 11:40AM on 10-01-2008
Well, if their stuff is patented, they already have that ability... so nope, still lame excuse, and I would love to hear their real reasoning ... and how does "rejection letters are part of NDA as well" fall into that reasoning...
KA said 12:04PM on 10-01-2008
Excellent post on what patents really mean from Art Lebedev.
http://community.livejournal.com/optimus_project/?skip=36
SpinThis! said 1:04PM on 10-01-2008
@ Josh: Apple has *filed* for a few iPhone patents; that doesn't mean much until those patents are actually granted.
Everyone can debate whether the NDA was actually necessary but at least the moral of the story is the NDA is gone. Great! Maybe Apple actually does listen... geez, who would have thunk it—maybe they're not evil after all?
Alex said 11:49AM on 10-01-2008
The business with rejection letters is still a bit unclear. It was noted on Daring Fireball that the NDA notice on the emails was a signature used elsewhere so may simply have been added in error.
Anyone know for sure?
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KA said 12:07PM on 10-01-2008
John Gruber updated that post. It's always been Apple's policy to put their correspondence with developers under NDA. I checked my mail archives and every email I've ever got regarding a bug report has been under non-disclosure.
TylerDurden said 12:06PM on 10-01-2008
I understand why the had the NDA to protect themselves from any potential exploits however i think it shouldve been dropped with the launch of the appstore. It really is a hand to developers to allow them to discuss the making of apps in order to produce even better ones.
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Sansaarai said 12:08PM on 10-01-2008
Yep. This has nothing to do with Google's Android platform.
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iBearTouch said 12:17PM on 10-01-2008
Ding dong, the witch is dead!!! Could this have something to with Adobe Flash for iPhone/iPod touch???
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zsports said 12:21PM on 10-01-2008
What about erica's book?
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