Early iPhone developers may be served walking papers

[AppleInsider]

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.

People familiar with Apple's year-long contracts say that developers who started work in March 2008 have been told they would be given an online option to ask for a new contract within the 90 days before their plans expire but haven't seen this option appear, even with less than a month left to go in their terms.

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.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[sdfisher]

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.

[jsonal]

Originally Posted by sdfisher

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.

[MuncyWeb]

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.

[winterspan]

Originally Posted by MuncyWeb

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"?

[hill60]

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.

[Codemattic]

This has been driving me crazy. And Apple contracts department has been just ignoring my emails. Not even a "we are working on it" response - just silence. I guess Im glad its not just me.

[Abster2core]

Originally Posted by Codemattic

This has been driving me crazy. And Apple contracts department has been just ignoring my emails. Not even a "we are working on it" response - just silence. I guess Im glad its not just me.

As you wrote last September…

Im finishing up a game for iPhone, so I have big hopes and dreams wrt iPhone development - but hey maybe it wont work out - Ill see)

are you still working on it?

[mdriftmeyer]

Originally Posted by jsonal

Legally speaking, it's not that simple. Though, I suppose we'll find out very soon.

Your contract is up for renewal?

[johnmcboston]

I don't get the take-down policy... You become a 'licensed' developer, make an all, and put it up. If you're never going to develop again, why would you need to renew a license you don't need, just to keep an existing app on line? Seems an odd move (or a sleezy way to make money). Doesn't Apple take a cut of sales?

[teckstud]

Hopefully this is Apple's way of weeding out all those Crap Apps- fart noises, strobe lights, etc. I wonder what the percentage of these bogus apps vs really productive apps? It's too bad that some really cool apps were not Ok'd yet all these were. The App Store is beginning to look like its motto is quantity over quality. I have to skip over like 10 or more usually to find one decent one.

[Rot'nApple]

Originally Posted by winterspan

BTW, I may be the idiot judging it by its name alone -- but honestly, how big is this "Tobaccoville"?

Tobaccoville is a village in Forsyth and Stokes counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 2,209 at the 2000 census. According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 7.1 square miles (18.4 km²), of which, 7.1 square miles (18.4 km²) of it is land and 0.14% is water.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobacco...North_Carolina

Enjoy that iced tea!

[Abster2core]

Originally Posted by johnmcboston

I don't get the take-down policy... You become a 'licensed' developer, make an all, and put it up. If you're never going to develop again, why would you need to renew a license you don't need, just to keep an existing app on line? Seems an odd move (or a sleezy way to make money). Doesn't Apple take a cut of sales?

To keep getting paid.

Read the agreements. Especially before you slander somebody.

[johnmcboston]

Originally Posted by Abster2core

To keep getting paid.

Read the agreements. Especially before you slander somebody.

Just because something is written down doesn't mean it makes sense or is fair.

[codybj]

Originally Posted by Abster2core

To keep getting paid.

Read the agreements. Especially before you slander somebody.

I agree with johnmcboston; the need to renew one's contract even if he is not planning to launch new products does seem nonsensical. If I had apps on the store and I had trouble renewing my contract, I'd be extremely PO'd. And I dont know whom Abster2core caught his spouse sleeping with today, but nothing I read had even a slanderous undertone...

[Abster2core]

Originally Posted by codybj

I agree with johnmcboston; the need to renew one's contract even if he is not planning to launch new products does seem nonsensical. If I had apps on the store and I had trouble renewing my contract, I'd be extremely PO'd. And I dont know whom Abster2core caught his spouse sleeping with today, but nothing I read had even a slanderous undertone...

Another first timer that doesn't read.

Look at johnmcboston's question, i.e.,

If you're never going to develop again, why would you need to renew a license you don't need, just to keep an existing app on line?

My answer: "If you want to be paid."

Obvious if you don't and aren't intending to develop anymore, you wouldn't renew. But if you have an app already in the store that you want to be seen and/or bought…doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out.

Seems an odd move (or a sleezy way to make money

That is slanderous.

[winterspan]

Originally Posted by Abster2core;

That is slanderous.

Um, no, sorry.. That is an OPINION. I don't think you understand what "slander" really is..

[Abster2core]

Originally Posted by winterspan

Um, no, sorry.. That is an OPINION. I don't think you understand what "slander" really is..

To call somebody sleezy…sound slanderous to me.

"Online comments are more like slander than libel, says judge" http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/shane_r...bel_says_judge

Colin Brechbill fights back against blog slander
http://www.thoughts.com/wricgent/blo...lander-142476/

Internet Slander/Libel Law Coming To North Carolina?
http://www.stoptheaclu.com/archives/...orth-carolina/

[winterspan]

Originally Posted by Abster2core

To call somebody sleezy…sound slanderous to me.

First of all, If you actually read it, you'll see that they were not specifically characterizing the company as "sleezy", but the actual perceived business practice. Secondly, it was clearly an opinion about that practice, and not a false statement about the business.

[ktappe]

Originally Posted by Abster2core

Another first timer that doesn't read.

Look at johnmcboston's question, i.e.,

My answer: "If you want to be paid."

Obvious if you don't and aren't intending to develop anymore, you wouldn't renew. But if you have an app already in the store that you want to be seen and/or bought…doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out.

YOU are still not getting it. There are TWO parts of iPhone development: 1) Receiving your developer license and getting your app accepted into the store, and 2) getting 70% of the sales of your app. Most reasonable people (myself included, and I'm an ADC member, by the way) think the annual $99 developer contract is for the first part, not the second. Apple is already taking their 30% cut, which reasonable people can conclude is compensation for the second part: their "work" publishing your app in the App Store. It is quite silly to have to pay an annual contract if you have no interest in submitting further apps. You don't have to renew the ADC membership in order to keep being paid for Mac OS X apps you previously wrote, so why have to pay to keep receiving income for iPhone apps??

For those who have nothing further to develop and from whom Apple is taking 30% of all sales, what's the $99 annual renewal payment for, Mr. Rocket Scientist??

Signed,
--Not even remotely a "First Timer"