ErikStenger
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As of late, Apple is getting tough on applicants, rejecting submitted Apps left and right. Unfortunately, the company's inconsistent approval process has led many to question the guidelines and those who enforce them. Maza Digital is the latest developer to fall under Apple's heavy hammer with the rejection of its latest iPhone product, Drivetrain. According to the company, the application is a front-end for its Bittorrent client Transmission, enabling end-users to check and manage BitTorrent downloads on Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch without directly manipulating files. This means that the program doesn't actually download anything, but rather offers a remote control feature for Transmission users.
However, due to its indirect tie with copyright infringing files, Apple ultimately rejected the program, denying entry into the Apple Apps Store. Originally, Apple emailed the company stating that it required an unexpected additional time for review. Eventually Maza Digital received the Apple rejection letter, explaining that the BitTorrent category of applications is often used for the purpose of infringing third party rights.
"We have chosen not to publish this type of application to the App Store," Apple said.
Maza Digital called the denial "ridiculous," saying that a BitTorrent client and the BitTorrent protocol are not illegal, and does not infringe on 3rd party rights. In an email to iLounge, Maza Digital said that Apple seems to have decided that any app associated with BitTorrent--even those that doesn't actually upload and download files such as Drive train--will likely be rejected because BitTorrent clients are "often used for the purpose of infringing third party rights." The company also noted that Drivetrain enables users the ability to stop, start, and delete torrent downloads as well as send torrent links to Transmission instead of downloading/uploading files itself.
Is Apple suffering paranoia? Or is its approval process in dire need of an overhaul? Recently Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor lashed out at Apple after the company rejected a recent version of his iPhone application. While the app didn't actually violate Apple regulations, "objectionable" content piped in from The Downward Spiral was the issue, and the catch is that the "questionable" content was already present in the first version. Confused, Trent and the gang were unclear as to what needed to be fixed in order to reappear on Apple's App Store.
"Now, The Downward Spiral the album is not available anywhere in the iPhone app," he responded via the band's message board. "The song The Downward Spiral I believe is in a podcast that can be streamed to the app. Thanks Apple for the clear description of the problem--as in, what do you want us to change to get past your stupid [bleeping] standards?" Needless to say, his colorful response wasn't a happy one. He also compared Apple with Walmart in consistency and "hypocrisy," saying that the latter company "went on a rampage" and demanded that artists provide censored music while the store went on selling Grand Theft Auto games and the movie Scarface without censorship.
Unfortunately, Nine Inch Nails and Maza Digital aren't the only two entities dealing with Apple inconstancies. Recently one application went under Apple's censorship filter because it contained the word "boobs." Then, last month, Apple's shaky approval process allowed one company to publish the Baby Shaker app (video via YouTube), a simple program that displays a picture of a baby making crying sounds. In order to make the child stop, end-users simply shake the iPhone or iPod Touch until red X's cross over their eyes, implying that the baby is dead. The app didn't last long in the App Store before enough outrage caused the company to remove it from the listings. Currently there's a Duke Nukem application that offers the character's comical quotes in audio form such as "I'm gonna get medieval on your asses," "Damn I'm good," "Now I'm really pissed off," and many more.
Go figure.
However, due to its indirect tie with copyright infringing files, Apple ultimately rejected the program, denying entry into the Apple Apps Store. Originally, Apple emailed the company stating that it required an unexpected additional time for review. Eventually Maza Digital received the Apple rejection letter, explaining that the BitTorrent category of applications is often used for the purpose of infringing third party rights.
"We have chosen not to publish this type of application to the App Store," Apple said.
Maza Digital called the denial "ridiculous," saying that a BitTorrent client and the BitTorrent protocol are not illegal, and does not infringe on 3rd party rights. In an email to iLounge, Maza Digital said that Apple seems to have decided that any app associated with BitTorrent--even those that doesn't actually upload and download files such as Drive train--will likely be rejected because BitTorrent clients are "often used for the purpose of infringing third party rights." The company also noted that Drivetrain enables users the ability to stop, start, and delete torrent downloads as well as send torrent links to Transmission instead of downloading/uploading files itself.
Is Apple suffering paranoia? Or is its approval process in dire need of an overhaul? Recently Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor lashed out at Apple after the company rejected a recent version of his iPhone application. While the app didn't actually violate Apple regulations, "objectionable" content piped in from The Downward Spiral was the issue, and the catch is that the "questionable" content was already present in the first version. Confused, Trent and the gang were unclear as to what needed to be fixed in order to reappear on Apple's App Store.
"Now, The Downward Spiral the album is not available anywhere in the iPhone app," he responded via the band's message board. "The song The Downward Spiral I believe is in a podcast that can be streamed to the app. Thanks Apple for the clear description of the problem--as in, what do you want us to change to get past your stupid [bleeping] standards?" Needless to say, his colorful response wasn't a happy one. He also compared Apple with Walmart in consistency and "hypocrisy," saying that the latter company "went on a rampage" and demanded that artists provide censored music while the store went on selling Grand Theft Auto games and the movie Scarface without censorship.
Unfortunately, Nine Inch Nails and Maza Digital aren't the only two entities dealing with Apple inconstancies. Recently one application went under Apple's censorship filter because it contained the word "boobs." Then, last month, Apple's shaky approval process allowed one company to publish the Baby Shaker app (video via YouTube), a simple program that displays a picture of a baby making crying sounds. In order to make the child stop, end-users simply shake the iPhone or iPod Touch until red X's cross over their eyes, implying that the baby is dead. The app didn't last long in the App Store before enough outrage caused the company to remove it from the listings. Currently there's a Duke Nukem application that offers the character's comical quotes in audio form such as "I'm gonna get medieval on your asses," "Damn I'm good," "Now I'm really pissed off," and many more.
Go figure.