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Apple has no right to restrict any API usage in the iOS that is running on MY hardware that I fully paid them for.

mrtksn 5y ago
Apple doesn't do that. The restrictions Apple impose are on distribution(i.e. you can't use Apple's distribution services to distribute your app to the users of that service if Apple don't let you), you can do whatever you like to your own device and Apple can't do anything about it. That's why it's perfectly legal to jailbreak your phone.
- FireBeyond 5y ago
  That's splitting hairs. They do do that, exactly by imposing restrictions on distribution. Your argument is: "You're free to write an app for yourself, but Apple isn't restricting you from using private APIs, they're restricting you from distributing it using their resources, oh and they're blocking any alternative distribution methods, too."
lotsofpulp 5y ago
What does “fully paid” mean? Would that allow Apple to sell hardware where they control API usage at a cheaper price than a device where they do not control API?
simondotau 5y ago
I'm not talking about restrictions placed upon the end user, but rather on the developer who is distributing an application which uses these libraries. If they're not willing to accept the license terms for those libraries, that is a license violation. Do you know who would agree with that? The FSF. They will argue that an application built against an API licensed under the GPL is a derivative work and therefore falls under the terms of the GPL. This was the case back when Qt was quite infamously licensed under the GPL rather than the LGPL.
- White_Wolf 5y ago
  Would forcing Apple to make everything required to run linux on Apple hardware available to all devs be fine then? Just to keep things fair and allow for competitors and such. Maybe force all hardware manufacturers to allow OS selection when doing a factory reset? Libraries? I'm allowed to use them without selling/distributing as long as they are critical to run the hardware that I paid for(as long as they are only used for said device). Copyrighting/blocking people from reverse engineering any piece of code that is needed for hardware to function should be illegal in the first place. Edit: A few typos and such.
  - simondotau 5y ago
    Well we can't make laws that target Apple specifically, so let's table that for now. Requiring all computer devices sold to have a mechanism for running Linux? That sounds fine in theory, though I don't know that a law could compel a company to assist developers in understanding their hardware.

Apple doesn't do that. The restrictions Apple impose are on distribution(i.e. you can't use Apple's distribution services to distribute your app to the users of that service if Apple don't let you), you can do whatever you like to your own device and Apple can't do anything about it. That's why it's perfectly legal to jailbreak your phone.

FireBeyond 5y ago
That's splitting hairs. They do do that, exactly by imposing restrictions on distribution. Your argument is: "You're free to write an app for yourself, but Apple isn't restricting you from using private APIs, they're restricting you from distributing it using their resources, oh and they're blocking any alternative distribution methods, too."

lotsofpulp 5y ago

What does “fully paid” mean? Would that allow Apple to sell hardware where they control API usage at a cheaper price than a device where they do not control API?

simondotau 5y ago

I'm not talking about restrictions placed upon the end user, but rather on the developer who is distributing an application which uses these libraries. If they're not willing to accept the license terms for those libraries, that is a license violation. Do you know who would agree with that? The FSF. They will argue that an application built against an API licensed under the GPL is a derivative work and therefore falls under the terms of the GPL. This was the case back when Qt was quite infamously licensed under the GPL rather than the LGPL.

White_Wolf 5y ago
Would forcing Apple to make everything required to run linux on Apple hardware available to all devs be fine then? Just to keep things fair and allow for competitors and such. Maybe force all hardware manufacturers to allow OS selection when doing a factory reset? Libraries? I'm allowed to use them without selling/distributing as long as they are critical to run the hardware that I paid for(as long as they are only used for said device). Copyrighting/blocking people from reverse engineering any piece of code that is needed for hardware to function should be illegal in the first place. Edit: A few typos and such.
- simondotau 5y ago
  Well we can't make laws that target Apple specifically, so let's table that for now. Requiring all computer devices sold to have a mechanism for running Linux? That sounds fine in theory, though I don't know that a law could compel a company to assist developers in understanding their hardware.