“Last week, Apple quietly stopped distributing NetShare, put it back up, and now appears to have pulled it again. But what could we expect? It was a piece of software allowing users to transform their iPhones into Wi-Fi hotspots,” Mark Wilson reports for Gizmodo.
“This weekend, however, with no notice to the developer or reasonable explanation, Apple has pulled the popular free movie finder app Box Office from the App Store,” Wilson reports.
According to the report, the developer of Box Office received no notice from Apple that the app would be pulled or had any response to emails asking what’s going on:
I’m in regular contact with all my data providers, and none of them have had an issue with my app. Indeed, the response was the exact opposite. They like my app and have even asked if i would do custom application work for them in the future. Furthermore, all the data I use is licensed by the owners as ‘free for non commercial use’. i.e. precisely what Box Office is. So I’m stuck here not knowing what has happened, or what i can do about it.
Wilson hypothesizes, “There must be something going on under the surface—an undiscovered security flaw, maybe.”
Full article here.
@falkirk I’m not calling apple evil. Just very hypocritical. They utilized open source development to assist in the creation of OSX,aka free BSD / open darwin. Apple had no problems utilizing the efforts of open source developers to build their baseline to save their ass. Now that a bunch of developers like myself are excited about a new platform they are locking it up to protect their business alliances. Make no mistake about it apple will protect their alliance with AT&T;over a company like NullRiver or an individual developer.
At the very least NullRiver deserves to know why their app was pulled. I’m sure their app was not discriminately pulled.
Your right we’ll see in a few weeks…
And this just in from Nullriver:
AUGUST 4TH, 2008
NETSHARE STATUS REPORT 2
“We’ve finally gotten in contact with Apple. Looks like the lack of communication was due to automated e-mail systems being employed on both ends, which resulted in e-mails being lost in transit. We’re working with Apple to get NetShare back up on the AppStore.”
http://www.nullriver.com/
I wonder if the reason for these sudden and unannounced takedowns might not be DMCA takedown notices to Apple. The last time I looked the provider was required to takedown any content for which a takedown request has been filed and only return it if the request has been determined to be invalid. Certainly Apple can do much of the review to determine validity without involving the developer. Only if the application was found to be truely infringing on someone’s copyright would it be necessary to involve the developer.
Apple will act as a tyranny, judge and juror in all iApp products, and need no answer to anyone.
Then fsck Apple. If those are the rules then there are better platforms to invest in.
<rant> WHY does Apple always manage to pull defeat from the jaws of victory? Apple had such incredible promise in 1984, then fscked it all up. Could history be repeating itself? </rant>
Apple, AT&T;’s biatch.
Pretty straight forward actually, AT&T;charges you to call them and look for movies. Box Office competes.
Who’s running Apple these days, Steve Ballmer?
To those who gave replies about finding NetShare somewhere other than the AppStore
Thanks
But appears we’ll have to wait
If the DRM don’t get us, then the ‘jail break’ will (and appreciate the thought, but not interested in going that route)
Again, thanks for the info, and the community effort
BC
So, Raving MacHead, do you read the follow up posts to yours? If so, check out iWill’s post above. He beat me to it.