Katie Marsal
On the one-year anniversary of third-party iPhone app development, developers need to renew their contracts to avoid having their software pulled from the App Store but are facing difficulties in getting Apple to cooperate in time.
In at least one case reported to AppleInsider, the choice was in fact pulled from the relevant website weeks earlier without explanation.
Attempts by these developers to contact Apple's legal department for a more direct solution also don't appear to have been successful: in the same instance as above, the legal team hasn't responded a month after a promise that it would address concerns "soon."
The reasons behind the apparent silence aren't immediately evident, but the March deadline is Apple's first definitive test of its ability to maintain long-term development relationships with those writing apps for the iPhone and iPod touch.
An example iPhone developer contract set to expire this month, but without the option to request a renewal.
A failure to update contracts for those developers willing to stay onboard would come right as Apple has achieved symbolic milestones for its now successful portal for third-party apps. Beyond the one-year birthday of the iPhone SDK, the iPhone maker has just in the past day surpassed the 25,000 app mark, according to unofficial tracker 148Apps.
Apple is still expected to follow through on renewing deals for the store, whose rate of app publication and developer sign-ons is only increasing. Nonetheless, a significant delay may see some of those 25,000 apps disappear as whole development teams — some of whom have made millions of dollars in a matter of days — see their catalogs taken offline.
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19 Comments
Silly non-news. If Apple doesn't have a renewal system in place in time, I'd bet that it will make sure expired contracts have no consequence until they do.
I'd bet that it will make sure expired contracts have no consequence until they do.
Legally speaking, it's not that simple. Though, I suppose we'll find out very soon.
The world is moving too fast for it's own good. Even Apple doesn't have enough resources to keep up with technology any more. Makes me want to go out and plant a garden, live in Amish country and sit in a rocking chair with a nice cup of iced tea...mmm.
the world is moving too fast for it's own good...
...Makes me want to go out and plant a garden, live in Amish country and sit in a rocking chair with a nice cup of iced tea...mmm.
ummm... Is that much different than your current situation? If your world in "Tobaccoville, North Carolina" feels like it is moving too fast, you probably wouldn't enjoy living on the west side of LA! lol
BTW, I may be the idiot judging it by its name alone -- but honestly, how big is this "Tobaccoville"?
They had better get it sorted, Nokia is calling for developer submissions in anticipation of opening their Ovi store in June, to coincide with the launch of the N97 which will be the first handset with an icon which links direct to the store.
They support Java, symbian, web apps, ringtones, wallpapers, themes and more and claim there are 300,000,000 compatible handsets.
They are offering developers a 70% cut...
...I wonder where they got that idea from.