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Apple Bans iFixit Developer Account and Removes App After Apple TV Teardown
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You can't be serious. How is this Apple's fault? Did anyone force iFixit to register for the Apple TV at this stage? They've requested it and signed an NDA, which I would assume, it's pretty well-written. They have broken it and paid, a mild, price for it. Straight-forward case.
Bummer, I hope it was worth the page hits they received for the article. They couldn't have waited for it's release and posted it?
I think it's not so much that Apple might have legal disadvantages by not reacting to a blatant breach of contract. The real problem is that if _one_ company signs an NDA, breaks the NDA and gets away with it, then others might be encouraged to do the same thing.
And blogged about it on a high-profile web site.
Apple almost had to do this to make a big public example of them, or every joe would think that Apple's contracts and agreements are meaningless.
So far you're the only person on this thread talking sense. Well done.
EDIT: seems like more people are taking the reasonable view on this. Can't believe people are defending iFixit on this one.
I can't remember all the details, but it is quite likely that when an account is closed, it's not just the account that is closed, but the relationship between Apple and the company, and possible the relationship between Apple and other companies with the same management, is closed.
Not feeling sorry for iFixIt in the least.. it was actually dishonest to accept a development piece of hardware they never intended to develop for .. they deprived an honest dev who would have development for it and broke their own agreement in the process..
Opportunistic jerks really.. They've been going this directly more and more lately IMO. Their tools are expensive too boot. Never will get a dime from me.
Opportunistic jerks really.. They've been going this directly more and more lately IMO. Their tools are expensive too boot. Never will get a dime from me.
What's funny about the negative comments, whilst I can't deny the principles of a breach, is that the majority of rumours posted on this site will have been the result of a NDA breach.
I think Apple has some pretty bad policies, processes, and procedures. I routinely whack at them for various reasons. With that said, I say good for Apple. Anyone who's livelihood depends on intellectual property understand the need to enforce the terms of agreement. If you don't want the consequences, don't agree to the contract terms.
Simple, plain, and easy for anyone with a high school education to understand. It is not about taking risk as they claim, it is about trust. "Do what you can get away with", is how the local criminals think. iFixit is no better.
Simple, plain, and easy for anyone with a high school education to understand. It is not about taking risk as they claim, it is about trust. "Do what you can get away with", is how the local criminals think. iFixit is no better.
iFixIt may help promote a movement of fixing and reusing, but that has nothing to do with this issue. iFixIt applied for a dev ATV, designed to be given to developers so they can make apps. Apple gave them a dev unit for $1, with certain conditions. iFixIt agreed to those conditions, then broke them, then profited from breaking them. If iFixIt had simply developed their app for the ATV, then done a tear down after the NDA expired (or bought a commercial unit to do the tear down), they wouldn't have been banned. It has nothing to do with the philosophy they're promoting.
People keep saying Apple wasn't hurt by them breaking the NDA. But similarly, the consumer isn't really helped by it either. The only people who benefit from the early tear down is iFixIt, because now they've got an exclusive that drives traffic to their website. It's dishonest. And they admitted as much in their blog post, all while making snide comments about Apple, who did nothing wrong here.
Apple thought they would abide by the terms and conditions, just like they expect of every dev who got an early ATV.
What happened to iFixit is unfortunate - but they did violate the NDA. So there you go. Irony in this thread is reading how people are dead set on the validity of the NDA/contract when it comes to Apple, yet so many threads are riddled with rants about carriers and theirs.
It does not matter, it was under NDA to not publish it.
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Seriously, they broke someone's trust and a business contract. Scare other developers? Wow. People who leak info (which is exactly what iFixit did by revealing device specific information prior to release) and are under contract or NDA should be prosecuted.
Try working for a company and being involved in a project that has an NDA for which you're included and go ahead and break that NDA. You think most companies would stop at just firing you? I worked for Sprint and have been included in previous NDA's and I've seen people sued for breaking NDA's and they had it coming. This is just the same as insider trading in that someone has been given early access to materials or info and then turns around and gives it to the competition before the company intended on releasing it.
Apple is one of the few companies out there that gives so many people access to info that many forget they are agreeing to a contract and in some cases an NDA. They're lucky if this is all that happens.
People now days treat contracts like they don't matter because a lot of people don't face real consequences like people did in the past. I personally like iFixit and just ordered some tools from them but this crossed a line and I personally think they're getting off pretty lucky.
I'm disturbed at the number of people defending iFixit after they admitted themselves that they ****ed up. It's ok to use your brain and not automatically take any side that's the opposite of Apple's.
As much as I like iFixit, you got what you had coming to you. Just because you're iFixit doesn't mean you get special treatment.
Exactly, and if Apple changes it's mind later today or tomorrow and allows iFixit back into the Apple ecosystem, I guarantee this forum will be full of posts that are the exact opposite of this thread.
Yep, just like every company that has ever made other people or companies sign an NDA.
Apple isn't special, and iFixit isn't special. This is the way things work- you sign something, you're held to what you signed.
So Apple only "dictates" the things that you willfully agree to let them "dictate", just like any other company that has terms and conditions you agree to. If something they make you agree to is later found to be illegal or unenforceable, you're permitted to disregard it. Again, Apple isn't special.