App Store Rejections: Apple rejects iKaraoke app, patent filed published for a karaoke player
As if the waters surrounding the App Store approval process weren't murky enough, one developer has just hit an unprecedented wall. Apple rejected his app, iKaraoke, citing that it duplicated functionality of the iPod application. Of course, the "duplicate functionality" reason is nothing new, but Apple's next step is: just a few weeks after rejecting the application, they have filed a patent for including karaoke functionality into the iPod app.A brief look at the demo iKaraoke's website will quickly tell you that, while the app does bear a light resemblance to some of the menus found in the iPod application, the actual interface that the user interacts with to select and download a song is far from duplicating the iPod's polished interface. Another key point is that the file format used by iKaraoke is known as the .kar format -- an unofficial extension of the MIDI specification that enables lyrics to appear in time with music. The lyrics are then displayed on the screen, and highlighted as the song is played. Does any of this sound like functionality found in the iPod app? We didn't think so.
So what exactly was duplicated then? According to apple, iKaraoke "duplicates the functionality of the built-in iPhone application, iPod, without providing sufficient differentiation or added functionality." But they didn't just stop there. The reviewer went on to say that the application "downloads media files that are not managed by the iTunes application, which also manages media files, we believe this would be confusing to the user." Now, hold on a minute here... it's fine for several other apps to stream and download media files that are supported by the iPod without being managed by iTunes, but it's not OK for an app to download media that isn't natively supported, and provide functionality that isn't natively provided by the iPod?
This wouldn't be much different from your typical app rejection if the story stopped there, but it doesn't. This morning, Apple filed a patent [application here] which details built-in Karaoke functionality being added as part of the iPod application, with some additional bells and whistles such as monitoring the pitch of the user's voice. So it seems the functionality that was duplicated is functionality that Apple has not yet released, and possibly not yet even begun to develop. Maybe the $99 iPhone Developer Program fee should include a crystal ball for testing apps before submitting them.
As with the many other patents Apple has filed, this feature may never see the light of day. But is it really acceptable to reject an application, based solely on what appears to be a duplication of a feature that may or may not even be released in the future? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Update: As a few of you have pointed out in the comments, although the patent application was published today, it actually was originally filed back in April of 2008. While this does indicate that the patent was indeed filed long before the SDK was even released, questions still remain about whether or not Apple may choose to reject applications based on functionality found in unreleased features.
Similar rejections have occurred with apps that offered podcast downloads prior to the inclusion of podcasting functionality in iTunes, for example. Essentially, what needs to happen is that Apple needs to clear the air on what exactly is considered a duplication of functionality, and to be clear with the developer on exactly what aspects of their application are in violation of this requirement, rather than sending a vague form letter and ignoring inquiries for additional information from the developer.
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As if the waters surrounding the App Store approval process weren't murky enough, one developer has just hit an unprecedented wall. Apple...
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Meh. Big deal!
July 03 2009 at 12:36 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyAPPLE IS LAME!!
They get Copy/Paste to the iPhone after 2 freaking years and think they have done a great deal! After that, the f***ing act smart by disabling MMS and Tethering on 2G iPhones as they are a**holes.
GET A DAMN NOKIA PHONE IF YOU REALLY NEED "FUNCTIONALITY" !!!
U S**K APPL !
@Howie: Yeah right. And people standing in line for days, just to spend a bomb on a dumb locked phone are not lame.
they should make these patents available for people to know before they waste their time developing applications. at least let developers know i think its only fair. can you imagine how bummed out the developer is to put work into an app to later find out apple has a patent. enough with the secrecy.
July 02 2009 at 9:31 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Replywell I think you should definitely release it for the Jailbreak crowd...
it looks like it is a well thought out program and it deserves to be out in the world
I am sorry that you are being put thru this...and it sucks
but we all know how stubborn Apple is...just look at our almighty Steve Jobs...now that is the most stubborn man alive...and we still love him
your best bet is to get as much publicity as you can on this matter and hope that someone at Apple sees that what this person has done is wrong and fix it
AND...can we get off the whole patent issue...the fact of the matter is...there are karaoke apps in the appstore now...and therefore his should be too...end of story...
fact is it is prob better made than what apple is coming out with so they wanted to block it...
good luck I hope you get your app accepted
Mike Jones patent research skillz = FAIL!
Spin skillz after being pwn3d = FAIL x 2!
For what it's worth, it's clear that Apple filed the patent application in April last year. But if Apple filed on an invention that it did not actually invent, any patent issuing from the application would be invalid and unenforceable. Patent applications MUST name the actual inventor(s). If, for example, the developer sued claiming he should have been named (and was thus entitled to a full right in the patent), the question of inventorship would be joined. If Apple was unable to prove that its own inventors invented it, bye bye patent. One can't simply look at someone else's invention and hope to get their own patent on that invention by filing first.
July 02 2009 at 7:06 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Replyhi,
i am sorry if there is some sort of misunderstanding regarding the topic,
it was never my intention to project the idea that apple had "stole" my idea...
at the most they are "stealing" sing star concept...
in all fairness and as far as i am concerned,
they had .kar playback implemented on quicktime long before i ever started to code for iphone sdk...
what is truly relevant in this case is the fact that they insist on blocking this specific app without presenting any valid reason for it or even replying to any of my info requests,
likewise they seem to be accepting other karaoke apps but not this one,
without providing any kind of explanation about why it does not receive the same consideration,
at this point it seems this reviewer has basically decided whatever crossed his mind and to just ignore any kind of contact attempt
and today they just were able to pull this stunt out,
just like a sad joke:
post a karaoke-like functionality concept to be implemented on the same exact day they reject iKaraoke app again without providing any further word about why...
there seems to be some ppl pointing out the fact that developers should be aware that apple may reject some stuff:
please rememeber that iKaraoke was never intended to be any kind of risky app, it does not have any kind of mature content or really tries to replicate any system functionality or do anything illegal or less legitimate...
the problem here is that apple is just rejecting because it wishes so and this is not what was been proposed regarding approval process, we were never told that any valid app might be rejected just because today its cloudy ...
Not defending Apple here (since we've had our own troubles lately, with C64 for iPhone); however, couldn't the developer potentially be sued by Apple for a patent violation if Apple did publish it? Quite an odd situation.
July 02 2009 at 6:45 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI have a friend who works at Apple in Cupertino.
Although I can't show you screenshot of the app, Karaoke is brand new feature that will be added to ALL iPod models, along with iPhone 3G and 3GS. (no first generation support, due to hardware limitation)
The Karaoke feature is something similar to the new Voice Control feature introduced on iPhone 3GS. And Karaoke tracks can be made via iTunes, like ringtones.
Because of this feature, Voice Over is also coming to iPhone 3G.
This case brings it to the point.
Never saw a brand loosing so much credibility like Apple does with the beginning of the App Store and its inherent app review process.
Innovative apps are being rejected while other doubtful ones, which show bikini girls or other little dressed girls, are being approved and doesn't seem to have objectionable content and seem not to violate against the iPhone SDK agreement (Section 3.3.12).
What the f**k Apple? Where do you want to go with this attitude?
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