Quote:
Originally Posted by Kali Yuga
Yes... for subscriptions.
All the assertions of a further land grab seem to trace back to one statement by one Apple spokesperson to one site (Ars Technica). Though Apple is tight-lipped, taking this as the Word of Steve does seem like a bit of a stretch.
Things might change around July 30, but I'm guessing that they are going to have a hard time (politically, not technically) eradicating the "click the link to open a web browser" approach.
Mind you I do think this is a bone-headed approach, and Apple is pretty stubborn so they will probably stick to it no matter what. But I don't think it's going to end up applying to all content transactions on all apps.
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Read a little further in the ComputerWorld article:
Quote:
Later Tuesday, Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller confirmed that those rules apply not only to newspaper and magazine publishers, but also to content sellers like Amazon.com, which offers a Kindle app for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.
To meet Apple's guidelines, Amazon must remove its "Shop in Kindle Store" link from its Kindle application. That link, which opens the iOS browser and displays Amazon's Web-based e-bookstore, is currently the easiest way for Kindle app users to purchase new books.
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(emphasis added)
The second paragraph quoted is the writer's, and may or may not reflect Apple's position. The App Store guidelines are not very explicit on this point.
Personally I would not care if the 'shop' buttons were removed. I use ebook apps to read content I've already acquired or purchased. It is really easy to bookmark preferred storefronts, and I prefer to browse for new content on my laptop for the most part. I'll buy just as many (or few) books either way.
And it is a little more complicated than removing the 'shop' button: typically, book samples have a 'buy' link in them (that launches a browser, etc). Does the reading app have to prevent that from working, according to Apple?