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Can you provide some examples of apps Apple has removed? Because, counterexample, Telegram is licensed under GPL and is has not been actively banned from the ap

Can you provide some examples of apps Apple has removed? Because, counterexample, Telegram is licensed under GPL and is has not been actively banned from the app store.

heavyset_go 6y ago
VLC was removed from the App Store by Apple[1], and had to be re-released under a dual license that allowed App Store distribution. GNU Go faced the same licensing issue[2]. This is a topic that was discussed on HN several years ago[3][4]. > Because, counterexample, Telegram is licensed under GPL and is has not been actively banned from the app store. As long as Telegram owns the IP for the app, or has contributors sign a CLA that allows for relicensing, nothing is stopping them from distributing the app under the GPL and distributing it under an App Store friendly license. Taking GPL code that you do not own the IP of, or that you do not have a license to distribute under your own terms, and distributing it under the App Store terms is a violation of the GPL. [1] https://www.zdnet.com/article/no-gpl-apps-for-apples-app-store/ https://www.zdnet.com/article/no-gpl-apps-for-apples-app-sto... [2] https://www.fsf.org/news/2010-05-app-store-compliance https://www.fsf.org/news/2010-05-app-store-compliance [3] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2083723 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2083723 [4] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1379662 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1379662
- mullingitover 6y ago
  These aren't examples of Apple unilaterally removing GPL'd apps, these were examples where the creator contacted Apple with demands and Apple complied by removing the apps. The GPL issues are more to do with GPL fans being overly pedantic about the license. The source code can be shared outside the app store, the only thing the app store build/signature is doing is baking in the app store wrappers which aren't adding extra functionality. By this logic, distributing a signed build of a GPL app would violate the license.

Can you provide some examples of apps Apple has removed? Because, counterexample, Telegram is licensed under GPL and is has not been actively banned from the app store.

heavyset_go 6y ago

VLC was removed from the App Store by Apple[1], and had to be re-released under a dual license that allowed App Store distribution. GNU Go faced the same licensing issue[2]. This is a topic that was discussed on HN several years ago[3][4]. > Because, counterexample, Telegram is licensed under GPL and is has not been actively banned from the app store. As long as Telegram owns the IP for the app, or has contributors sign a CLA that allows for relicensing, nothing is stopping them from distributing the app under the GPL and distributing it under an App Store friendly license. Taking GPL code that you do not own the IP of, or that you do not have a license to distribute under your own terms, and distributing it under the App Store terms is a violation of the GPL. [1] https://www.zdnet.com/article/no-gpl-apps-for-apples-app-store/ https://www.zdnet.com/article/no-gpl-apps-for-apples-app-sto... [2] https://www.fsf.org/news/2010-05-app-store-compliance https://www.fsf.org/news/2010-05-app-store-compliance [3] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2083723 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2083723 [4] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1379662 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1379662

mullingitover 6y ago
These aren't examples of Apple unilaterally removing GPL'd apps, these were examples where the creator contacted Apple with demands and Apple complied by removing the apps. The GPL issues are more to do with GPL fans being overly pedantic about the license. The source code can be shared outside the app store, the only thing the app store build/signature is doing is baking in the app store wrappers which aren't adding extra functionality. By this logic, distributing a signed build of a GPL app would violate the license.