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Apple Bans iFixit Developer Account and Removes App After Apple TV Teardown

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Apr 12, 2001
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After the new fourth-generation Apple TV was announced on September 9, Apple provided developers with Apple TV Dev Kits to be used to create tvOS apps for the device. Teardown site iFixit took apart one of those Apple TV units meant for developers and has now run into some repercussions for doing so.

According to a post on the iFixit blog, the teardown, which unveiled all of the internal components of the new Apple TV, violated Apple's terms and conditions. As a result, iFixit's developer account was banned, leading to the removal of the iFixit app from the App Store.

ATV4-Teardown-800x400.jpg

iFixit's Apple TV unit was sent directly from Apple with the same restrictions placed on Apple TV units sent to other developers, but iFixit ignored the fine print. "We weighed the risks, blithely tossed those risks over our shoulder, and tore down the Apple TV anyway," reads the blog post.
A few days later, we got an email from Apple informing us that we violated their terms and conditions--and the offending developer account had been banned. Unfortunately, iFixit's app was tied to that same account, so Apple pulled the app as well. Their justification was that we had taken "actions that may hinder the performance or intended use of the App Store, B2B Program, or the Program."

Live and learn.
Click to expand...
With the iFixit app removed from the Apple Store, iFixit is instead planning to revamp its mobile website and does not have plans to rewrite the app. The decision to focus on the iFixit mobile site came before the app was pulled by Apple, so it was not a huge loss to iFixit. The site says the app was outdated and riddled with bugs caused by iOS 9.

Following the release of Apple TV Developer Kits, many other developers shared photos, unboxings, and feature tidbits about the device. It is unknown if Apple has also contacted these developers about non-disclosure violations.

Article Link: Apple Bans iFixit Developer Account and Removes App After Apple TV Teardown
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2015/09/30/apple-bans-ifixit-developer-account-apple-tv/
zorinlynx

zorinlynx

macrumors G3
May 31, 2007
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This is incredibly petty of Apple. It's not like iFixIt showing us the guts of the Apple TV hurt them in any way.

It sounds like this is them "making an example out of" iFixIt to scare other devs into following the agreements to the letter. Still, pretty petty in my opinion. iFixIt contributes a lot to the community.
 
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stiligFox

stiligFox

macrumors 65816
Apr 24, 2009
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Boooooo :c

I used that app a lot when I had an iPad mini - I don't as much now that I have a MacBook Air but still. I hope that the app will still work as I own it.

I guess I can understand - they were giving out free AppleTV's for devs to use, and iFixit just took their's apart.

As iFixit said, you live and learn...
 
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Kaibelf

Kaibelf

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Apr 29, 2009
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Maybe I'm naive, but I don't feel bad for iFixit. They signed a deal, and then went back on the deal. That means that their professional word is meaningless. Sorry, but where I come from, a promise is a promise, especially involving a business contract. "We weighed the risks, blithely tossed those risks over our shoulder, and tore down the Apple TV anyway" is unacceptable, because that means that they feel that they're above the people with whom they made agreements.

Also, shame on them for saying that their app was "riddled with bugs caused by iOS9." That's a cop-out from a developer that was just too lazy to keep their app current. If you're going to be a liar, and lazy, at least be adult enough to own it instead of blaming others for your POOR work ethic and lack of integrity.
 
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J

jocamero

macrumors regular
Jul 11, 2008
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Love iFixIt and what they contribute. That being said...

They break Apple's NDA and licensing agreement then ask their users not to do the same. Hmm

FTA:
"(Our old app is open source if you’d like an example to build upon. Just respect our license and don’t put ads in it.)"
 
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D

DC Wallaby

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Aug 22, 2014
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stiligFox said:
I guess I can understand - they were giving out free AppleTV's for dev's to use, and iFixit just took their's apart.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure how anyone could have misconstrued that, even setting aside the issue of violating the NDA. The idea is to have early access so you can test your apps, not so you can be first to post a teardown.

I believe that iFixit provides a useful service to the world. But they played with fire on this one and got burned. And from the quote in the original post, it sounds like they fully understand that themselves.
 
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