Quote:
Originally Posted by
jberry 
As a developer I work long hours on my apps to make them good, and to attract legitimate purchasers to purchase the apps so that I can get a reasonable return for my efforts.
Yes. As a jailbreaker, I agree with you. I'm also a content producer and developer.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
jberry
When I consistently see (as I do) that in excess of 25% of the running copies of my app are cracked (stolen) copies, it gives me reason to wish that Apple would come down much harder on the jailbreakers who facilitate app stealing, on the crackers who crack these apps, and on the websites that distribute them to the users who accept and use the stolen apps. Using stolen apps is no different than buying stolen cars, or from stealing the dollar bills directly out of my pocket.
Right. Apple should stop selling iPhones because they're used to pirate your apps. Apple should stop selling computer, and ISPs should shut down. That's how silly it sounds. Jailbreaking != piracy any more than any of these other things. Apple could go after warez sites and apps like Installous, but also as a developer, you should consider looking at how your can deal with the issue of piracy yourself. It's really not that hard.
First, take a look at the 25%. How much of that is really hurting you? There's a good percentage of that who never would've paid for your app to begin with, but their use may contribute to influencing others to buy. Likewise of that 25%, a percentage will like the app and then buy it later. Here's a hint: update often and require more recent versions of iOS.
Finally, take a look at what others are doing through code to prevent piracy. Be nice about it. Let your app continue to run in Trial mode until purchased or serve ads and nag messages.
If you really want to take a hard line, don't let your app run at all, or pollute the warez scene with bad cracks.
Really, it's not that hard to combat, but you may find that doing so causes more harm than good.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
jberry
Jailbreaking, while perhaps not illegal in itself, is the key that facilitates app stealing.
There's no perhaps about it. Jailbreaking an iPhone is not illegal. The key that facilitates app stealing is actually stealing the app. That's the crime. Cracking apps, posting cracked apps, etc... that's all illegal with the sole purpose of committing a crime. Jailbreaking no more facilitates the act of the crime than buying an iPhone, using a computer, having an internet, etc... Jailbreaking, like any of these other things, provides all kinds of features and functionality that is perfectly legal and causes harm to no one.
