Apple reverses decision on Eucalyptus app
updated 10:50 am EDT, Mon May 25, 2009
Eucalyptus app wins
Apple has once again overturned one of its decisions on approving an iPhone app, the developer of Eucalyptus says. The software is an e-book reader with an emphasis on physicality, mimicking the experience of turning a real page in addition to providing more print-like fonts. The fonts can be resized through pinching commands, which preserve proper formatting.
Eucalyptus was initially rejected however as a result of access to Project Gutenberg, a service which offers free books in the public domain, such as titles by Charles Dickens and the Baron d'Holbach. Among the other books available is the Kama Sutra, which an Apple employee identified as having "inappropriate sexual content." The work is centuries old, though, and one of India's most famous pieces of religious writing.
Apple has changed its mind on a number of "offensive" apps in recent weeks, for instance approving the submissions of Tweetie 1.3 and NIN Access 1.0.3. Still banned is Me So Holy, an app which let users insert their own photo into a painting of Jesus. It is believed that Apple may use future ratings on apps to permit the sale of controversial titles, without engendering developer frustration.












gotta love it
05/25, 10:32pm reply
So even Apple has no clue what they should and shouldn't allow in an app. Maybe if they specified these rules, wrote them down, so both developer and reviewer knew what to look for, there wouldn't be so many stupid decisions being made.
Man, I'm glad we don't have to get apps approved for use on Macs. Otherwise you wouldn't be able to get anything on your computer...
LouZer
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Joined: Nov 2000
I said they would likely
05/26, 08:18am reply
change their decision and they did. What's the big deal for a couple of days wait. It's not going to hurt the developer to any degree and it sure shouldn't concern the myriad bloggers that have nothing else to do but gripe and speculate. These people just want to blow a small issue out of proportion. I don't care how many rules Apple sets up, there will always be some issues. Who said Apple has to be perfect. Even if their 99% correct, people will complain. Is there really any urgency to have the Kama Sutra on the iPhone. Hardly. If there are other apps that allow it, then they should use that instead. What does Apple gain by rejecting apps? Nothing. I'm sure Apple is just reviewing it with the legal dept. or setting up some other precedent.
We'll see how well the other app stores do but it's not like anyone is going to care. RIM and Nokia are companies outside of America and will have different standards, but let's see how Microsoft will be able to handle it. If anyone wanted to get the Kama Sutra on their mobile devices that badly, they could just buy the actual book and scan it in.
iphonerulez
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Joined: Nov 2008
re: gotta love it
05/26, 01:17pm (1 reply) reply
QualleyIV
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Joined: Aug 2001
Re: I said they...
05/26, 01:26pm reply
change their decision and they did. What's the big deal for a couple of days wait. It's not going to hurt the developer to any degree ...
That's assuming the developer is told "We're going to reevaluate your app" or "We need to spend more time talking about it". Which they weren't.
testudo
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Joined: Aug 2001
Re: Re: I said they...
05/26, 01:57pm reply
There goes testudo again, making up things s/he has ABSOLUTELY no idea about...
QualleyIV
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Joined: Aug 2001
Last Living TV Censors
05/26, 02:16pm reply
They banned it because of the Kama Sutra? Sheesh. I'm getting the feeling Apple hired the last living TV censors from the fifties or something. If they can not allow this app because it allows access to objectionable material, they should also remove Safari because it allows access to the same.(Oh, QualleyIV, LouZer's statement was hyperbole, not sarcasm, and was pretty obviously that. Look it up then you'll understand.)
Woode
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Joined: Oct 2007
not clear
05/26, 03:06pm reply
It's really not clear why Apple initially refused the app, and why it's now approved. The story mentions Project Gutenberg - I'd like to hear more about that. Is the app using the work of Project Gutenberg and monetizing it?
elroth
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Joined: Jul 2006