Apple Abusing Monopoly Power

[shantyman]

This is seriously shitty. Apple rejected an iPhone app named Podcaster because it duplicated functionality of a desktop application. Exact quote:

Apple Rep says: Since Podcaster assists in the distribution of podcasts, it duplicates the functionality of the Podcast section of iTunes.

This is truly disturbing on many, many levels. One of the worst aspects of this is the application approval process is the final step of development of an application for the iPhone platform. In this case the application was finished, then Apple rejected it. What developer with any business sense would put any resources into developing an application if the possibility existed it could all be for naught? This sounds overly dramatic but it has serious implications for the growth of the platform.

Further muddying this is there are no explicit guidelines presented by Apple in terms of what is or is not acceptable. This is the first documented case of this type of situation (rejection due to duplicated functionality).

The bottom line is this is the anti competitive behavior Microsoft practiced a decade ago. I am assuming that the negative press (and it is getting a LOT in the tech world) will force Apple's hand to make the guidelines less vague and not so restrictive.

Some links:

A Bridge Too Far - Inside iPhone Blog

Here, however, Apple has gone too far. Rejecting an application because it might compete with Apple is simply indefensible. There's so much wrong with it that I'm not even sure where to start. There are legal issues to consider, in terms of anti-competitive behavior. There's the fact that Apple isn't actually offering this functionality on the iPhone, so it's not really competing at all. And hey, doesn't Apple already allow plenty of competing functionality, with apps that ship on the iPhone? One need only look at PCalc, WeatherBug, or Big Clock to see obvious examples of duplicated functionality. Yet each was allowed in the App Store without incident.

Why iPhone is an ureliable platform (Scripting News)

Apple to iPhone Developers: Don’t Compete With Us?*|*Technologizer

Way back when, if software distribution for the Mac had been handled via a Mac App Store with a don’t-duplicate-Apple-products policy, Photoshop might have been refused distribution on the grounds that it was too similar to MacPaint. A Mac platform that hadn’t gotten Photoshop might well have been a Mac platform that died some time in the mid-1990s or so.

[master_of_muppets]

i became an iPhone owner/user as of this past friday, and so i'm still in the bliss phase of experiencing the device and platform. it truly is not just a device/phone - it's the tip of an iceberg in how we interact with computers. very exciting to see where this will go.

but as for the Podcaster rejection, i agree that it is a bad call on Apple's part. i don't do development, just the creative ("skinning") of sites and apps, and i can't imagine one of our clients investing just the creative costs into an app that may not be accepted by Apple. that's just bad common sense.

i look for Apple to do the right thing here. i can see specifics of process and qualifications for futures iPhone apps. they are gung-ho on seeing iPhone as their 3rd platform, so it's in their best interest across the board to be friendly.

[shantyman]

I think they will do the right thing, but that fact thst the process is in this state is troubling.

I'm glad you got the iPhone MoM- despite what Franny says it is an awesome device.

[Franny]

Originally Posted by shantyman

I'm glad you got the iPhone MoM- despite what Franny says it is an awesome device.

C'mon now! I use my 3G daily for web surfing and YouTube