[BigZaphod]

So who lied, then, when they agreed to Apple's explicitly stated terms and gave Apple permission to distribute VLC in this form in the App Store? If VLC gets removed, it's because this developer is essentially demanding that Apple remove it.

[patrickaljord]

The dev who is asking to remove it is not the same as the one who submitted it to the appstore. VLC is foss and as such any contributor is a copyright holder and can ask apple to remove it from the appstore.

[BigZaphod]

I know it's not the same individual that submitted as is making the current complaint.

Whomever agreed to Apple's terms told Apple, by way of agreeing to the contract, that they had full rights and authority to grant Apple the right to distribute the app with all the associated restrictions, etc. outlined in the contract. It would seem that when you consider the terms of the GPL, that person did not have the authority to claim such a thing. That person lied or, at best, was simply mistaken. This isn't Apple's fault. That's all I'm saying. Perhaps ultimately we agree on that point.

[hasenj]

You don't get it.

Open apps can't get on the iPhone because Apple disallows it.

Apple is pulling it out, they control what software can or cannot get in. There's no way for anyone to install anything (legally, and without hassle) on the iTouch devices without Apple's permission.

[demallien]

No, you don't get it. The fact that VLC was on the App Store is clear proof that Apple has no problem with the GPL. It is the GPL that has a problem with the App Store. Considering that there is plenty of software on the store using other open licenses, such as BSD and LGPL, and putting it together with Apple's willingness to allow GPL'd software(VLC) on the App Store, it is clear that the party causing VLC to be pulled is in fact the copyright holder and no-one else. Claims of "But, but, he made me do it!" are every bit as immature as they sound.

[thomasz]

You mean Apple is fine with distributing GPL licensed Software, they just don't want to comply with the licensing terms?

[demallien]

Ugh. Is that what you really think that I mean? In case my point wasn't clear enough, I mean to say that Apple doesn't get mixed up in licensing arrangements between app developers and third parties, or if they do, it is just to takedown software that infringes the third party's rights, not to actually comply with the third party's demands

I don't even see how Apple could comply with the licensing terms. They don't have the source code of the app in question, so they can't comply even if they wanted to. Unless you're suggesting that Apple should force every app developer to hand over their source code to Apple, and give Apple the right to distribute it without the developer's agreement? Yeah, that's an attractive deal, I'm sure it'll do wonders for the number of apps in the App Store...

[StavrosK]

There definitely is a perfectly legal and convenient way to install anything: jailbreak it and put whatever you want on it.

[palish]

Oooh! Someone said "Jailbreak"!

I've been dying to ask: What kinds of awesome things can you do with a jailbroken iPhone? I know you can install VLC + some software to stream videos from some other computer via wifi, which is pretty sweet. What else?

I've been considering Jailbreaking, but it would be cool to have a compelling, shiny reason.

[StavrosK]

You can install lockinfo:

http://thew0rd.com/wp-content/gallery/postrelated/lockinfo.p...