I am considering developing an app for the iPad/iPhone and for OSX that I want to have in the App Store. I would like to find Apples polices regarding what they pay and what they allow. Digging around their web site I cannot find any documentation that states the legal stuff. Does anyone know where I can find it exactly?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
iOS Apple's App Store payout policy
- Thread starter carleton
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Apple takes 30%. If you haven't done so already, here is a good place to start for guidelines:
http://developer.apple.com/appstore/guidelines.html
RTP.
As far as I know, the only way to read the actual legal agreements you'll be expected to agree to is to partially perform the enrollment process for the iOS Developer program.
You'll go through several steps until you reach the one asking you to agree to the terms of the license agreement. At that point you can download the PDF of the agreement, and halt the signup process. There won't be a credit card charge until after you agree, so halting before agreement costs nothing other the time it takes you to fill in a bunch of data.
The enrollment process starts here:
https://developer.apple.com/programs/ios/
You'll go through several steps until you reach the one asking you to agree to the terms of the license agreement. At that point you can download the PDF of the agreement, and halt the signup process. There won't be a credit card charge until after you agree, so halting before agreement costs nothing other the time it takes you to fill in a bunch of data.
The enrollment process starts here:
https://developer.apple.com/programs/ios/
Well, what I am looking for is this:
The Director of Development at my company told me the following:
I know the first is true, but the second? I am trying to find out details on that comment. I am not sure if he was looking at iOS development or OSX development, or if it is even true.
Example1: ExpeData created a iPad application naturalForms. The program, naturalForms, itself is free but to use it, you have to have an account with the ExpeData service. Does ExpeData have to pay Apple for the naturalForms to run on the iPad?
Example2: I develop a OSX application that I see on my web site but NEVER put into the OSX App Store, do I have to pay Apple for each sale of my software?
What I am looking for is where Apple addresses these issues. I have a geed friend that is a lawyer, so I have someone to interpret it for me, I just need to find where Apple addresses this type of thing.
One thought I had was... If I develop my own OSX application, put it into the OSX App Store and then sell it on my web site, Apple gets 10%, but they don't get anything if I don't put it into the App Store. I don't know, just trying to figure this all out
Sam
The Director of Development at my company told me the following:
- Apple takes 30% of all software sold through the App Store
- Apple also takes 10% on all software sold that runs on a Mac that is NOT sold through the App store.
I know the first is true, but the second? I am trying to find out details on that comment. I am not sure if he was looking at iOS development or OSX development, or if it is even true.
Example1: ExpeData created a iPad application naturalForms. The program, naturalForms, itself is free but to use it, you have to have an account with the ExpeData service. Does ExpeData have to pay Apple for the naturalForms to run on the iPad?
Example2: I develop a OSX application that I see on my web site but NEVER put into the OSX App Store, do I have to pay Apple for each sale of my software?
What I am looking for is where Apple addresses these issues. I have a geed friend that is a lawyer, so I have someone to interpret it for me, I just need to find where Apple addresses this type of thing.
One thought I had was... If I develop my own OSX application, put it into the OSX App Store and then sell it on my web site, Apple gets 10%, but they don't get anything if I don't put it into the App Store. I don't know, just trying to figure this all out
Sam
robbieduncan,
Yea, I don't think it is either, but unless I get this FROM APPLE, it is pure speculation. If I am going to sell the Director of Development that what he read was wrong, I need to have the documents FROM APPLE with an explanation to go with it.
Without the document FROM APPLE, I have nothing
Yea, I don't think it is either, but unless I get this FROM APPLE, it is pure speculation. If I am going to sell the Director of Development that what he read was wrong, I need to have the documents FROM APPLE with an explanation to go with it.
Without the document FROM APPLE, I have nothing
robbieduncan,
Yea, I don't think it is either, but unless I get this FROM APPLE, it is pure speculation. If I am going to sell the Director of Development that what he read was wrong, I need to have the documents FROM APPLE with an explanation to go with it.
Without the document FROM APPLE, I have nothing
You won't get a document from Apple regarding payments to them for software made on the open market as this simply does not happen and they'd have absolutely no way to enforce it.
What I am looking for is clear documentation on what their payment policy is, how it works, extra. The way I see it is, if I can find a document from Apple that does stated the 30%, more than the one line item on the main iOS development page, and it lacks any comments of software sold on the open market, then that IS the proof I need.
It is real simple: I need to get my hands on Apple's polices regarding the App Store how they pay, what they expect, etc.
It is real simple: I need to get my hands on Apple's polices regarding the App Store how they pay, what they expect, etc.
As I already described in post #3 of this thread, you must start the enrollment process, fill in the requested information, then stop when you get to the step where you are asked to agree to the license agreement.
To my knowledge, there is no other way to obtain the complete text of the final license agreement. It will be a PDF file, and it will have a URL, but you must be in the process of enrolling, or already enrolled, in order to get it.
There are separate agreements for iOS and Mac Developer programs. Be sure you use the program you want. For example, I gave the URL of the iOS enrollment in my earlier post, because this thread is on the iOS Programming forum. Here's the Mac enrollment URL:
https://developer.apple.com/programs/mac/
And I agree with the others: there is no extra 10% for Mac software. I have published many Mac programs over the years, and never had to pay Apple 10%. You should ask your Director of Development exactly where he read about this 10%.
Yup - there is no such requirement when selling software for Macs outside of the App Store; Your Director is completely wrong in this regard.
As this is something that Apple don't impose, you will never get a document from them stating this fact, in the same way as you will never get a document from Apple stating that they do not impose a 10% levy on software written for Windows PCs.
I fear your Director may be in for a long wait with this one...
RTP.