Cydia Store, Others to Take on AppStore
8:46 pm, March 5th, 2009, Lonnie Lazar
At least three new online stores selling applications to run on Apple mobile devices will soon be open for business, taking aim at capturing a piece of the projected $800 million market for iPhone and iPod Touch applications, according to a report at The Wall Street Journal online.
Jay Freeman, a 27-year-old computer science doctoral student who says his “jailbreaking” software has been installed on nearly 2 million iPhones, is opening the Cydia Store to create a vehicle for himself, and developers like him, to capitalize on their efforts to develop software built outside the tightly controlled parameters of Apple’s iPhone SDK. Freeman says he will collect the same sales commission from 3rd party developers on his site that Apple collects from developers whose wares sell on the iTunes AppStore.
Two other “renegade” application marketplaces are planned, according to the Journal report – Rock Your Phone, for iPhone users who have not yet modified their devices to download unauthorized applications, and a thid online store specializing in selling adult games for the iPhone.
While Apple has yet to indicate any action to try and prevent the online stores from opening, Freeman has nonetheless hired legal counsel to press his case, should it come to that. “The overworking goal is to provide choice,” he says. “It’s understandable the [Apple] wants to control things, but it has been very limiting for developers and users.”
Via WSJ
Posted by Lonnie Lazar in News | Comment on this article
I think they’re walking on thin ice here.
If they’re going to start sapping Apple’s profits in addition to doing ‘illegal’ work, they’ll be putting themselves in the firing line.
That’s just my opinion on the matter.
Duality, on March 6th, 2009 at 12:30 am
When will your program be available for Verizon and how much?
Doug, on March 6th, 2009 at 5:58 am
@Doug.
That’s a childish comment. I’m not involved with the iPhone or iPhone app development in any way. I just have common sense.
Apple isn’t afraid to sue, it’s constantly flexing it’s legal muscle out there. I can’t think of a bigger way to anger the corporation than by taking money from them via an alternative app store, since they’re having so much success with the real one now.
Duality, on March 6th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
What is wrong with you people? You seem to know, or care, little about your rights, your liberty, your decision making authority, and especially in this case, your property rights. I have an absolute property right in my Iphone3G, and can put any software from any source on it I choose. Apple, has NO right, NO authority to prevent me, or try to prevent me, from doing so. They also, have no power at all (and that includes legally), to stop anybody who wishes to sell me that software, and provide it in whatever way they see fit.
Apple has a legal right in their IP for the hardware design itself (you cannot copy the design), and for their OS (you cannot copy it either), and that is where Apple’s power starts and ends. Once I pay that $300.00 of may hard earned money for that phone, it is mine, period. What you people are saying, is equivalent to GM saying I cannot play certain DVDs, or can play only ones purchased from them, in my new GM vehicle. It is nonsense.
Omegaman
Omegaman, on March 6th, 2009 at 9:44 pm
It’s not quite that simplistic. When you purchased your iPhone, you signed a contract. The purpose of a contract is to limit and specify both your rights and the rights of the seller. I would suggest reading that contract very carefully: you may very well have ceded Apple/ATT the powers you claim they don’t have.
@ Omegaman, on March 7th, 2009 at 7:59 am