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Apple said if the app lets you buy books outside of the app, i.e. you click the buy button inside the app and are then sent to the webpage to purchase the book,

by naner 16y ago

Apple said if the app lets you buy books outside of the app, i.e. you click the buy button inside the app and are then sent to the webpage to purchase the book, then the app must also let you purchase the book without leaving the app by using in-app purchases. Okay. But they also said you cannot buy books inside the app unless Apple gets a cut: http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2011/02/change-in-apple-policy-has-e-book-fans-worried-about-their-apps.ars http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2011/02/change-in-apple-po... It appears as if Sony's app tried to offer a built-in bookstore as well as the ability to download books purchased on other devices, but that idea was shot down when Apple reportedly told Sony that all in-app purchases must go through Apple. So that basically means if the Kindle app wants to let you buy books from Amazon it can only go through the Amazon website and it has to allow you to purchase books from Apple. How does that make any sense?

jaaron 16y ago
It doesn't. It would mean removing a link to the Amazon store, which is stupid. Amazon shouldn't budge on this one. Apple needs to back down.
YooLi 16y ago
"So that basically means if the Kindle app wants to let you buy books from Amazon, it has to go through the Amazon website and it has to allow you to purchase books from Apple? How does that make any sense?" It doesn't at all and I totally agree with you on that. I was just making it clear what Apple actually said because everyone seems to be latched onto the "Apple won't let you access your own content if you didn't buy it from them" fallacy. Obviously Apple wants in on the purchasing action, and by forcing both actions to be available (staying in-app to purchase or being sent to a web browser) they are hoping at least some people find in-app purchasing easier/smoother and use it instead.

by naner 16y ago

jaaron 16y ago

It doesn't. It would mean removing a link to the Amazon store, which is stupid. Amazon shouldn't budge on this one. Apple needs to back down.

YooLi 16y ago

"So that basically means if the Kindle app wants to let you buy books from Amazon, it has to go through the Amazon website and it has to allow you to purchase books from Apple? How does that make any sense?" It doesn't at all and I totally agree with you on that. I was just making it clear what Apple actually said because everyone seems to be latched onto the "Apple won't let you access your own content if you didn't buy it from them" fallacy. Obviously Apple wants in on the purchasing action, and by forcing both actions to be available (staying in-app to purchase or being sent to a web browser) they are hoping at least some people find in-app purchasing easier/smoother and use it instead.