Apple Bans BitTorrent Software

[SonsOfLiberty]

An iPhone application designed to remotely-control the Transmission BitTorrent client has been rejected by the Apple App Store. Apple told the developer that this type of application is often used to infringe copyrights, so therefore the company has decided not to allow such software on the App store.

Drivetrain is an iPhone application to remotely control the multi-platform Transmission BitTorrent client via the Internet. According to developer, Maza Digital, Drivetrain “provides all the details of the web interface in a native iPhone app that’s easy to use.”

Maza Digital submitted Drivetrain to Apple for approval and according to iLounge, received an email in return saying that the review would take longer than expected.

This was followed up by a second email in which Apple rejected the application for inclusion in the App Store, telling Maza Digital;

This category of applications is often used for the purpose of infringing third party rights. We have chosen to not publish this type of application to the App Store.

Of course, not only are all BitTorrent clients absolutely legal (people infringe copyright, not software) but Drivetrain is just an application to control a torrent client and as such goes absolutely nowhere near any copyright infringing material.

Maza Digital told iLounge that Apple “seems to have decided that any app that has anything to do with BitTorrent (even if the app does not download/upload anything!) is treated as doing something that ‘is often used for the purpose of infringing third party rights,’ and will therefore likely be rejected.”

A ridiculous move by Apple and a step too far. Quick, ban Safari so no-one can use Clutch.



Source: enigmax

[shipwreck]

Hi, I'm a Mac. I'm just so much cooler than you PC, you overweight nerd. I'm so cool that I voluntarily became the whore of the content industry.

[pokekevin]

might as well stop producing the ipods...

[Cabalo]

might as well stop producing the ipods...

hahahaha, that's brilliant.
There's no gadget in the world that carries more piracy than the ipods.

[Skiz]

might as well stop producing the ipods...

How does that reasonably fit into this discussion? iTunes has sold billions of movies, billions of apps, and tens of billions of songs.

What does the banning of a little know application on the iPhone have to do with anything concerning the production or success of iPods?

Those who are into file sharing and downloading things of this sort on their iPhones/iPods have in all likelihood jailbroken their device(s) and are using one of several very successful Bittorrent apps available through Cydia.

[Jim]

hey ho glad i jail broke my iphone il just download this off the cydia store for a small fee why give a percentage of your profits to apple anyways as long as their is sea theyl always be pirates!! arrr ! . quick ban acces to bbc iplayer on the safari app on the iphone he might not have a tv licence

[iLOVENZB]

How does that reasonably fit into this discussion? iTunes has sold billions of movies, billions of apps, and tens of billions of songs.

...

Those who are into file sharing and downloading things of this sort on their iPhones/iPods have in all likelihood jailbroken their device(s) and are using one of several very successful Bittorrent apps available through Cydia.

Do you honestly think that people who own iPod's 'own' the music on there? Is it even legal to put licensed music on there, considering you'll have to rip the media in the first place (which in some countries is illegal***).

Also if you want to go the BT road on your iPhone/iPod Touch (I honestly don't know why you'd want to) then look for "CTorrent Enchanced" (CLI) and "Torrentula" (GUI) (both found on Cydia).

***Old but still valid points

http://www.zeropaid.com/news/9141/ri...ds_is_illegal/

http://www.boingboing.net/2007/12/11...ent-autho.html

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,319276,00.html

http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/artic..._in_Australia/

PWNED/LOL I miss bush

[Skiz]

How does that reasonably fit into this discussion? iTunes has sold billions of movies, billions of apps, and tens of billions of songs.

...

Those who are into file sharing and downloading things of this sort on their iPhones/iPods have in all likelihood jailbroken their device(s) and are using one of several very successful Bittorrent apps available through Cydia.

Do you honestly think that people who own iPod's 'own' the music on there? Is it even legal to put licensed music on there, considering you'll have to rip the media in the first place (which in some countries is illegal***).

Also if you want to go the BT road on your iPhone/iPod Touch (I honestly don't know why you'd want to) then look for "CTorrent Enchanced" (CLI) and "Torrentula" (GUI) (both found on Cydia).

You're splitting hairs. The literally billions of songs legally sold through iTunes demonstrates, that yes, many people do own their music.

As of June 19, 2008, iTunes became the leading music retailer in the United States by surpassing Wal-Mart, and it did so in an absurdly short amount of time. The company had a catalog of more than 8 million songs, 20,000 TV shows, and 2,000 films, including 350 in high-definition format and sold (sells?) an average of 13 million songs per day. (being that was a year ago, all of those stats would be considerably larger by now)

Now, that being said, no, I do not think everyone who owns an iPod owns their music. I'm not sure why you'd even ask that on a file sharing forum...

[SonsOfLiberty]

Well I do give Apple props for at least getting rid of the DRM and protected MP3 files they sell, now you can add them to any device just not a crummy ipod.

[n00bz0r]

Well I do give Apple props for at least getting rid of the DRM and protected MP3 files they sell, now you can add them to any device just not a crummy ipod.

probably the reason the Apple Store has been so successful..