Josh Ong
MacStories reported on Sunday that "several" websites advertising a Unique Device Identifier (UDID) activation service no longer appear to be operating. The sites had previously been profiled in a story by Wired's Andy Baio on the new industry last month.
One site owner confirmed to MacStories that Apple had lodged a copyright infringement complaint with the site's hosting provider. He claimed to have made $75,000 since Apple began seeding beta releases of iOS 6 to developers in June.
“We do not believe our service was infringing and our services did not violate their guidelines for iOS 6″, the site owner maintained, adding that he is currently working on a new site “with better and more secure data lines to handle Apple.â€
Meanwhile, the report noted that the CEO of a web hosting company told Baio via Twitter that Apple was "fairly heavy-handed" in sending Digital Millennium Copyright Act takedown requests to sites his company hosted that offered UDID developer activations.
Apple's $99-per-year developer accounts allow for activation of up to 100 devices for testing. Considering that one UDID activation-selling service was charging $8.99 per service, these websites could stand to make $800 per developer account, not counting other costs such as hosting or advertising.
Last year, Apple warned developers not to sell their account device slots. The company reportedly closed accounts of some developers that it had identified as having sold UDID activations.
Malcolm Owen
William Gallagher
Wesley Hilliard
Andrew Orr
51 Comments
Good for Apple. Clearly a violation of the developer terms.
And why would anyone pay $9 to have a beta version of iOS on their device? Stupid all around.
"We do not believe our service was infringing and our services did not violate their guidelines for iOS 6?, the site owner maintained..."
Riiight...
I thought, due to a lot of reading, that apple was trying to do away with UDID. I'm not as well read as some of you with technology, but wouldn't this show up in iOS 6? Meaning, now it's here! ...and by the way UDID doesn't work any more. No more tracking guys! I'm generalizing of course, but are we seeing a new level of security that the Senators keep calling Apple out on? I would love to hear Sol's well thought opinion of this.
I thought, due to a lot of reading, that apple was trying to do away with UDID.
in terms of general consumer use, yes. But they have to have a way to validate the devices for getting and activating the betas and the UDID is the only way possible at the moment. Given that Apple discourages developers using their active device with an iOS beta since said device will not be eligible for any kind of Genius Bar/Apple Care service, it's not like they could track the device or any use of it as all it is supposed to have is the beta of iOS 6 and the developers apps for testing.
OS X Betas are *not* for public consumption, nor is the public entitled to something a vendor decided to *not* give them. Apple's philosophy is that the consumer sees the final, finished release, not some beta. The first impression is to be made from the release. Even if the release isn't up to *some* users' standards, it is still better than an unfinished beta. And if the policy were that a late beta is open for public consumption, then so must an early beta. Not good.
I applaud Apple for choosing thoughtful philosophy and principles over whatever misguided patronage might be gained from being too open for their own damn good.
"Apple's $99-per-year developer accounts allow for activation of up to 100 devices for testing. Considering that one UDID activation-selling service was charging $8.99 per service, these websites could stand to make $800 per developer account, not counting other costs such as hosting or advertising."
Open-and-shut case. Easily.
Regardless of how the public gets the Beta (via "other" means), it's understandable that Apple make their position clear on their own policies regarding the integrity of their product.