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Apple Drops iPhone Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA)

Wirelessly posted (iPhone: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5F136 Safari/525.20)

I wonder if this is what was holding TomTom and Garmin back from releasing Turn by Turn GPS software.
 
Yes, let's all congratulate Apple for finally coming to their senses. I guess that's something to applaud.

Just curious, are we going to applaud Apple when and if they grow enough brains to allow 3rd party email apps and other software that supposed duplicates features they provide? I'd like email that actually has features on par with other 1.0 and pre-release email software at least. You know like a settings for things like download only 5k or 50k of data and then give the option to download the rest... Oh and email that doesn't have to re-load every time I click on it even though it's already been read? I wouldn't want someone with a 45 I.Q. to accidentally beat the cr@p out of Apple's own developments in their sleep.

Alex Alexzander
 
I've always wanted an iPhone developers guide book to help me get started. This should be interesting.
 
It's about time Apple wised up on this one. Lack of community resources for developers means the retarded pace of technological innovation and the eventual stagnation of the platform.

I'm actually looking forward to the rise of OSS iPhone apps. Downloading the source, compiling, and putting the app directly on your phone -- without worrying about whether or not the capricious Apple has decided to disapprove the app for providing functionality that's a little too close to home. For software engineers and power users, this is a very good thing that makes jailbreaking less necessary.
 
CrownSeven said:
Well then, I guess I will be purchasing a new MBP once the redesign is released to start developing iPHONE apps..
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You still have that little problem that after you are done Apple can reject the app for any reason. Developing for the iPhone is kind of like playing a slot machine, unpredictable outcome that is not under your control. Do not gamble more development time than you are willing to loose.

The NDA on released software was pointless. There was no secrete anyone can get the SDK but the NDA prevented people dfrom talking about what anyone could download and read.
 
sfoalex said:
Just curious, are we going to applaud Apple when and if they grow enough brains to allow 3rd party email apps and other software that supposed duplicates features they provide?
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Guess it depends on how much their throttling of control threatens sales. That's more or less what happened here. Enough people were outraged to put a dent in sales. Ultimately, that's the basis for every decision, really.
 
regularg0nz0 said:
Guess it depends on how much their throttling of control threatens sales. That's more or less what happened here. Enough people were outraged to put a dent in sales. Ultimately, that's the basis for every decision, really.
Click to expand...

Furthermore, since rejected software is not released software, the emperor still doesn't allow you to discuss it.

Alex Alexzander
 
This is great news, poking a few windows in the walled garden that is the iPod / iTunes frontier, is something that many will appreciate. The next item that should be taken seriously, is a better process for approving applications.

Having a pre-approval process would help reduce much more of the bad press on the app store, as compared to the NDA. Giving Developers a "Green light" before they spend many hours (days or months) on an application would be a nice touch. A good friend of mine is contemplating making his application he is developing for Android, however he fears that it will be rejected, and does not want want to do the work just to be rejected.

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ChrisA said:
You still have that little problem that after you are done Apple can reject the app for any reason. Developing for the iPhone is kind of like playing a slot machine, unpredictable outcome that is not under your control. Do not gamble more development time than you are willing to loose.

The NDA on released software was pointless. There was no secrete anyone can get the SDK but the NDA prevented people dfrom talking about what anyone could download and read.
Click to expand...

You are missing the point. Even if ten million people can register and download the SDK, as long as it is under NDA it is still secret. Therefore engineers at Microsoft or Nokia who are certainly clever enough to take ideas from the SDK and turn them into a patent are not allowed to do it, because doing so would violate the NDA. There is also the problem that you can't patent things after they have been published (for example by yourself; I think there is a grace period for US patents), but as long as it is under NDA, it is _not_ published. So Apple has more time to file for patents, as long as everything is under NDA.
 
kornyboy said:
Wirelessly posted (iPhone: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5F136 Safari/525.20)

I wonder if this is what was holding TomTom and Garmin back from releasing Turn by Turn GPS software.
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Certainly not. These companies don't have any intention to tell you how their applications work, whether they are under NDA or not.

regularg0nz0 said:
Guess it depends on how much their throttling of control threatens sales. That's more or less what happened here. Enough people were outraged to put a dent in sales. Ultimately, that's the basis for every decision, really.
Click to expand...

There may have been outrage; I doubt it stopped anyone from buying software. If Apple treats developer X in a nasty way, why would that stop you from buying developer Y's software? I think a real problem was GPL-based software, where the author might have an obligation to provide the source code once it is published.

firewood said:
No. It means you can publish books and write help forum articles about your SDK developed software before it is (possibly) rejected by the App store.
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Once you have a changed NDA in your hands, have checked it, and the NDA allows it. Hopefully some time within a week.
 
Kelmon said:
Why the NDA remained in place after the iPhone's release is beyond me, ...
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It's probably beyond you because you haven't spent many 10's of millions of dollars on court cases over stolen and illegally copied software ideas (and had to either settle, or narrowly lose). Apple has.

.
 
paja said:
Amazon will soon have a flood of iPhone developer books!
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This drop of the NDA is not unexpected... thanks to Amazon! There have been iPhone developer books on Amazon available for preorder for quite some time now. One even has a specific day of release (most only indicate the month). These publishers were obviously aware that this lifting of the NDA would happen.
 
TheSpaz said:
I've always wanted an iPhone developers guide book to help me get started. This should be interesting.
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But doesn't the change still not allow any discussion about the SDK itself (like a book) because you can't discuss anything about an app until the app is published which is different than publishing an SDK reference book?
 
arn said:
I don't think you know that for sure until the new NDA comes out. The way it was worded, I believe it's Apple software and features.

arn
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I agree with you, Arn. It is obvious that Apple is allowing developers to now discuss issues and problems so that a community can form that will aid future developers.

The non-disclosure of un-released software and features is for Apple's software, such as OS, firmware, etc.

This would be analogous with the way that Apple handles the NDA for OS X.

Good move for Apple. Now developers will be able to share code snippets and offer advice on optimization and standardization of common tasks.
 
Sell, sell, sell

What?!?

APPL isn't completely controled by myopic officious lawyers and clueless greedy executives that always seek to control and constrain the third-party developers that enhance the value of their products ???

Don't these guys know how to run a company? Who have these guys their MBAs?

If I was holding Apple stock I'd be really nervous about their leadership.

;)

(good job Apple)
 
Does this mean I can talk about the iPhone commercial that I may or may not have appeared in that never aired? Allegedly.
 
worldburger said:
I think the posters who are quick to congratulate Apple might be jumping the gun.

If I understand correctly the lifted NDA is for released software only. I suspect the NDA on unreleased (read: denied software like the podcaster xyz-pdq) will still be in place. That is the one about which I was most disappointed...
Click to expand...

The software that you wrote is your property to do as you wish even if Apple does not allow you to market it via the app store. You can otherwise sell the source code along with all the calls to the API since the version of the API is no longer under NDA. You can also create an OpenSource project to distribute the software.

You can also write articles on your experince withthe current version of the SDK and teach others how to create applications.

Your code is your property, Apple has no rights on it.
 
Don't be fooled

MacMuttonchops said:
Glad to see that they're actually listening to people's feedback. That can only be a step in the right direction.
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ok 2 things. 1 before the agreement... Apps still sucked. So I still doubt we are going to see any really useful applications besides the games. 2nd... Apple didn't listen to us... Or you... Or any customers at all. They are scared of the 1 big threat that comes along with the g1. Compare to the iPhone we all saw and read g1 isn't that exciting. Best part out of the gates is 3.2 megapixel camera, mms, and copy/paste. The one thing everyone has their eye out for on the g1 is a developers platform with little to no rules. No restrictions. Developers can mimic and completly replace basic functions the g1 comes with such as mms, the phone app, gpas, and so on. Apple is creating the illusion that it will lighten up but even before this agreement iPhone apps were still fairly useless. Let's face of the iPhone is good for how it looks/feels and the news/games. Other than that. G1 seems a little more exciting. That's all I am just saying. Don't be fooled.
 
EagerDragon said:
The software that you wrote is your property to do as you wish even if Apple does not allow you to market it via the app store. You can otherwise sell the source code along with all the calls to the API since the version of the API is no longer under NDA. You can also create an OpenSource project to distribute the software.

You can also write articles on your experince withthe current version of the SDK and teach others how to create applications.

Your code is your property, Apple has no rights on it.
Click to expand...

Please note that unreleased software and features will remain under NDA until they are released.


i am confused about this statement
 
Awesome news. I have an xcode2 book and an iPhone dev book on order. Look forward to making stuff for the phone.
 
nice, but whats the status of the macbooks, it looks there is no new macbooks out before jan 09, they should have sent invitations out for the event on 14th oct.

But it looks they have not said anything about it......:confused:
 
So...

Has the iPhone SDK been "released"?

Or just distributed to development partners but not actually released?
 
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