Apple stomps another app
p2pnet.net News:- Apple is at it again – bullying small developers who make helpful applications it doesn’t like.
This time it stomped Sylvain Demongeot whose free plug-in let you copy music on your iPod into your iTunes library.
What a terrible thing, huh?
So Apple, happily stuffing its pockets with molto cash from iPod sales, pulled the plug on the plug-in.
“After Apple threatened my web hosting company and my site was shut down for more than 1 hour, I had to withdraw the plugin,” says Demongeot, going on:
“I am still waiting for an explanation on what iPodDownload is supposed to violate (Apple never contacted me!).”
Apple tried to do the same thing with PlayFair, an app which decoded iTunes protected-AAC files to unencrypted AAC files with no quality loss.
As its author said, “I buy all of my music. In fact, most of the music I buy I buy from the iTunes Music Store. However, I want to be able to play the music I buy wherever I want to play it without quality loss, since I PAID FOR that quality. I want musicians to make money. I want Apple to make money. I don’t condone sharing music through P2P networks with the masses, though I believe making a mix CD or playlist for a friend is okay. I also think the RIAA are a bunch of crooks, but that’s another story.”
Here’s the latest Apple missile:
From: ProHosting Abuse Department
To: sylvain demongeot (wildbits.com)
Subject: Fw: Urgent/Legal Notice (our ref#0677)
We received the following complaint regarding your website from Apple Computer, Inc.
You must remove the offending link/files within 24hrs or your account will be closed for violating our Acceptable Use Policy.
Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.
ProHosting Abuse Department
abuse@prohosting.com
Forwarded by ProHosting Abuse Department
====================
Specifically, we have learned that unauthorized Apple iTunes® software code is being used in a computer program called “iPodDownload 1.0″. The material is currently available for download on the wildbits.com web site, hosted by your company, at the following URL:
http://www.wildbits.com/ipoddownload/
===================
See:-
terrible thing – iPodDownload plugin for iTunes: too good to last!
PlayFair – Return of Playfair, p2pnet, May 11, 2004
November 3rd, 2004 at 4:31 pm
The file is available on eMule
ed2k://|file|Ipoddownload.1.0.sit|51422|8956882679E3DE05467F3FD68E48AE92|/
maybe on other P2Ps also
November 3rd, 2004 at 5:11 pm
—maybe on other P2Ps also—
It is ; )
November 3rd, 2004 at 6:17 pm
The complaint says Apple’s code was used. If true, who is stealing from whom?
Now, not only is it OK to steal an artist’s music, it’s OK to steal a programers code. If your writing wasn’t such BS I would steal it, put my name on it and post it on my blog just to show you what is happening first hand. You won’t understand any other way.
November 3rd, 2004 at 6:36 pm
Hey Jack-ASS; Read the bottom of every page:
“If you’re thinking about posting a comment, why not send it to news[a]p2pnet[dot]net as an article instead? Your thoughts will reach a lot more people that way : ) Cheers! And thanks.”
November 3rd, 2004 at 6:38 pm
Hey Jack-ASS; Read the bottom of every page:
p2pnet’s contents are licensed under a Creative Commons License, unless otherwise stated.
November 3rd, 2004 at 6:45 pm
I spent over 20 years developing apps for Microsoft’s OS’s and 12 for Apple’s OS’s.
Without knowing the details I would have to first say that it’s a different ball game with the Internet.
The alledged offending software was hosting not on the developers site but on a third party, who does not want to get involved in lawsuits if one should happen. So the developer needs to provide their own hosting where they can put their alledged offending software for public to have access to.
Secondly starting in the 80’s I saw Microsoft successfully bully many small developers out of business, who much more at risk than this guy, like employees…
So to say Apple Stomps Another App is more sensationalizing of the story than the facts have proven.
BTW, the biggest mistake Apple ever made was with the spineless CEO Michael Spindler, who agreed to drop an important lawsuit with Microsoft if MS promised to keep developing for Mac… MS made over $1bil from their Mac line, not something their shareholders would have liked to see discontinued… Second big mistake was to agree with Apple (greed) Records not to get into the music business AND pay millions, should have been one or the other.
November 3rd, 2004 at 8:07 pm
There are two issues here.
1) Apple stomping on it’s developers.
2) Getting files music off of the iPod.
What this program does is put a GUI onto a very simple operation. Everyone has access to the terminal and with the most rudimentary knowledge of Unix commands, namely ls and cp, you can achieve the same thing, even after iTunes 4.7. This program hardly qualifies as a significant achievement and Apple is not competing with it.
Steve