In a curious example of international geopolitics influencing the App Store, developers who have registered iTunes accounts in the Crimea are being told to stop using all Apple software, and destroy any materials related to it. Why? It all has to do with the United States imposing sanctions against Russia.
According to the note Apple is sending developers, the termination is effective immediately. Developers with accounts registered in the Crimea have also had access to their developer portal blocked. Here’s the full text:
This letter Serves as Notice of termination of the Registered Apple Developer Agreement (the “Agreement RAD”) Between you and Apple, Effective immediately.
Apple May terminate your Status as Registered Apple Developer A at Any time at ITS Sole Discretion Under the RAD Agreement. The new sanctions on the Crimea Region announced by the US Government on December 19, 2014 and announced by the European Commission on December 18, 2014 prohibit the continuation of the RAD Agreement between you and Apple. For more information, please review Executive Order 13685 and the European Commission Notice.
We Would like to remind you of your Obligations with regard to software and All Other Confidential information you That Obtained from Apple as A Registered Apple Developer. You must promptly Cease All use of and destroy such materials and Comply with All the Other Obligations set forth termination in the RAD Agreement.
So what’s going on? In March 2014, pro-Russian and Russian military forces occupied most of the strategically important Crimean Peninsula, taking it over from the Ukraine. In response to the aggressive annexation of Crimea by Russia, the United States has imposed sanctions upon Crimea, which specifically prevents any American company from selling or importing goods, services, or technology into the region.
How long will this last? Unless Russia decides to withdraw from the Peninsula, which is unlikely, it might take a long time for Crimea to get its App Store back.
Source: Techcrunch
John Brownlee is a writer for Fast Company, and a contributing writer here at CoM. He has also written for Wired, Playboy, Boing Boing, Popular Mechanics, VentureBeat, and Gizmodo. He lives in Boston with his wife and two parakeets. You can follow him here on Twitter.
35 responses to “Apple pulls out of Crimea as part of U.S. sanctions against Russia”
Russia didn’t take that peninsula. It was Crimea choice!
It’s too bad for developers who live in Crimea.
Sorry, hard to believe free will when an army is pointed at you.
As if you were there and saw what is was like first hand…
“RussianMan” please go check on reality.
I live in Crimea and army was there to protect us from Ukraine.
If they won’t the battle would be in Crimea, not in Donbass. People are so crazy and believe everything USA says. But they are not right. Sorry for my bad English.
Protect you form Ukraine? You’re Ukraine!!!
You don’t know history. There is no more country called Ukraine. America has destroyed it. The war has begun already, and america declared it.
America destroyed Ucrania? How?
You’re completely brainwashed by putin’s propaganda.
They had a puppet there, controlling the country for the Kremlin.
And I’m not American, I’m Portuguese, don’t say s****.
We were. And very few of us supported reforms people “fought” for in Kiev. One of them was depriving Russian language of national status. Now think what happens if in Canada happens Maidan, and the VERY first thing they decide is to take French language from people. What would say people in the region where they speak French exclusively? And that’s just one example. There were many reasons why our paths were meant to split.
Again, ignorance. Kiev decided that the only formal language, used when dealing with the Ukrainian state, will be Ukrainian. Nobody forbid people from speaking Russian, proof the fact that many people in Ukraine speak Russian without any problem. The same holds true in every nation in the world, in Greece for example, all communication with the Greek authorities has to be done in Greek. In US, in English. In Germany, in German. Why should Ukraine spend money having all public documents in Russian?
Russianman, tell me again, when did Ukraine threatened you? Why some of your compatriots from Crimea are still receiving pension etc from Ukraine? Where your electricity and water comes from? And when was the last time you read history? Because as far as history tells us, Ukraine has been an independent country since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Actually, Russia has signed agreements to guarantee the independence of Ukraine against foreign invasion. It was under this agreement that Ukraine destroyed all the nuclear arms they had on their land.
Please do not listen too much to Russian propaganda, it can destroy whatever little brain you have left.
I can tell not to listen to Europe and USA propaganda. Pensions we recieve from Russia and pension has grew up. Electricity is russian too, because Russia transfer it to ukraine in order ukraine transfer it to Crimea. You cannot decide enything while you know nothing at all.
Well, you can’t accuse me of listening to European or US propaganda. You see, I am Greek and my wife is from Ukraine! So I guess I know what I am talking about.
Why should anyone tell you anything in the first place? As if we have anything to prove you. I was born in USSR and happy to be at home. If someone punishes me for my choice, well, it’s their choice. Whether you like it or not. Our water isn’t coming from Ukraine, and power comes from Russia through Ukraine (you may have heard Ukraine has cut us off close to the NY eve) and then powered us back when they got a deal from Russia for cheap power. History tells me that during that referendum when we voted not to be “given” to Ukraine but keep our independence as and autonomous republic our voices were ignored, then later we were deprived off all our rights here on the peninsula, including the right to choose our governor of the City of Sevastopol. As for the right of speech, it’s your ignorance. Did you know that all our names were TRANSLATED into Ukrainian? How crazy is that. My first name is Aleksey, and I miraculously transformed into Oleksii. Now, 23 years later, I have my name back.
No, you have to prove me what you say. For example, your water comes from Kahovskoye vodochraniliche, it sure doesn’t come from Sochi or from Kerch. And yes, I know that Ukraine cut off power to you, why should the Ukrainian people suffer from power outages, in order to have enough energy to send you? As for Crimea to be an independent republic, give me a break. What will your economy be based on? Tourism?!?! Agriculture??? Vines and wine?? An independent republic which receives money from another republic to survive, is NOT independent. As for your name being translated from Aleksey to Oleksii, I do not see a translation there. I see spelling the same name in Ukrainian language.
One more thing, you want to be with Russia, that’s fine by me. Live with what Russia can provide you.
I’ll leave you to your arrogant thoughts there. I don’t have to prove you anything. You don’t seem to want to see my point of view, and I don’t care what you think or who you are. Cheers, mate. Live a happy live. :)
Likewise, live a happy life, with your choices!
I would suggest to calm a bit down and stop teaching history to people who actually live here. You may get into an uncomfortable situation eventually.
Lol. In the next 5 to 10 years, when you’ll see your neighbors prosper, with proper facilities, independence, modern culture, wealth, and freedom. You will love being in Russ… Crimea.
These sanctions are just so stupid. It’ll only antagonise the ethnic Russians in Crimea and make relations worse with the West long term. I feel for any developer in Crimea who is basically being starved out of this.
Yes, this is bad for both Apple and Apple costumers. That’s why it’s called “war”.
You cant help thinking that Putin and Lavrov were right though when they said they would be counter productive..
Counter productive for them. Because they can’t win. There’s no Apple and a ton of other companies even more important for modern living in mother Russia.
Our government now directs what American enterprise developers must do in foreign lands? …..and we wonder why most of the world hates us?
Obama and his ilk, “A Clear and Present Danger”
So you’re all for exporting tech and materials to China and Iran because “American enterprise developers”?
GOPers and their ilk: “Clueless.” Oh and, these sanctions were approved by Congress, with plenty of your right winger buddies.
So if you’re a loyal Ukrainian in Crimea, you get punished twice. Nice. So does this mean Europe recognise Russia’s action as legitimate? Seems like it.
This is actually the funniest part. Here in Crimea we have our water supply cut from the Ukraine mainland, financial transactions cut, power supply in shaky state, on-ground transportation between Ukraine and peninsular mostly cut, postal services cut — we are on occupied territory. And before recent that was the only way of how our “to-be-loved” Ukraine shows how it needs us and wants us back. Recently we saw U.S. supporting this nonsense by cutting financial and service import / export between the region and punishing people even more. What I really don’t understand is this. If U.S. doesn’t recognize the choice of people here and truly believe we were forced into it, why does it throw stones at “poor” us as opposed to showing support? Is that the way its democracy machine works? On the other hand, if they recognize our choice (which is the ONLY reason to kick us), then why wouldn’t they say so openly? (All questions are rhetorical, of course.) :)
Let’s see.
You want to be part of Russia, but you want Ukraine to supply you with water, electricity, financial institutions, transportation services, postal services, medicines, food supplies etc.
Didn’t you know that all these would be terminated, if Crimea was annexed to Russia? You didn’t know that, when your free will made you
“vote” to be taken by Russia? Or were you expecting to receive all these from Ukraine, just because your are so intelligent????
I know for a fact that several of your compatriot Crimeans have still their internal passports, so that they can collect pension from Ukraine. Why isn’t Russia paying your pensions and salaries???
Russia is paying pensions and salaries. I work in this sphere.
Then how come that this summer, a pensioner lady from Crimea, came to my mother-in-law’s house in Odessa and showed us her Ukrainian interior passport and the receipt of the pension she had just collected from the Ukrainian government? And she was very happy for that, because she collects pension from both, or as she put it “I sit with one ass on two chairs” (I am sure you know the expression).
You are not getting my point. We expected all this, but it’s not about our expectations. It’s about dualism in minds of Ukrainian government and its supporters (US, EU). They still present us as part of their country, but treat as foreigners / enemies by stamping sanctions and adding limitations. Imagine a member of your family is blocked on the territory occupied by an enemy, would you stop sending goods to him and support anyway you can? (Again, for smoking heads, I’m not asking for help — just pointing out on weirdness of the situation).
Pensions and salaries are long paid by Russian government. We all have passports, social security cards, medical coverage cards and there’s no Ukrainian Hryvna in rotation for at least 9 months. Our cars mostly have Russian license plates and even most driving licenses are now exchanged for Russian. So there’s no turning back. You could receive Ukrainian pension if you want, but for that you’ll need to cross the border (which isn’t for pensioners, I believe).
Yes, it is my game! Because my wife and son pay taxes to the Ukrainian government and those money end up to people in Crimea. That’s why I get so emotional.
My relatives would have fled from Crimea, when the Russians occupied it. And you could have done the same, if you wanted to live in a free country, but no, you prefer to live under Putin’s regime, that’s fine by me, but since you did so, stop complaining about how the rest of Ukraine treated you.
And please, stop talking to me about US etc. I’ve been in Ukraine in summer 2013 and again this summer. I haven’t seen any US Army anywhere, but I have seen Russian army in the country.
As for pensions etc. please read my reply to NickIson, above. Most of the Crimean people, delivered their foreign (international) passport to the new authorities, but not the internal passports. Clever trick, I know.
Are you deaf? :) For the third time. I don’t care what they cut and not pay to me in Ukraine. Your wife and son are not paying anything to Crimeans any more. Do I have to repeat it again several times for you to get it? :)
As for passports. No one asked to “deliver” them. :D You were misinformed. Check your data before saying. You are embarrassing yourself, mate. :)
Not going to waste more time on responds. :)
I was misinformed?? Sure thing man! Whatever you say.
I live in Crimea.
I have read all the conversation
between guys who live here and Ukrainians.
Apparently you, John, won’t be able to understand
Crimeans. Yeah, I know it’s OK for people like you to give us instructions how to live.
I can explain why I voted against Ukraine. First of
all I was a loyal Ukrainian citizen who was born in Soviet Ukraine in
Yevpatoriya(Crimea). I have never been able to learn Ukrainian language. I was
12 when Soviet Union collapsed. I know, we have never been prohibited to talk Russian
at home. I agree, but I hadn’t been able to go to the cinema and
watch movie in Russian before ‘occupation’ as well.
So during Ukraine time it was prohibited to see foreign
movies in Russian. Funny eh? I was a loyal taxpayer – government prohibited me
to watch movies in Russian.
Yeah… people like you can tell me – ‘you are russian
bastard – go out from my country and go to Moscow to watch movies’. (Pakuy
valiza I ed’ v Moskoviyu)
Another small reason… as a businessman I couldn’t use
russian language when I advertise my products in Crimea. So I used Ukrainian
banners, although the vast majority of our people don’t know Ukrainian.
My name is Nickolay why I should be Mikola? There are
lots and lots of small inconveniences were in our lives. We could cope with
this problems, but when the nationalists guys occupied RADA and decided to cancel
all previous lows about russian language, we packed up our baggage. And we were
happy because we were protected by green polite men )
By the way, you see I’m good in English, I travel a
lot and I really want to live in ‘European country’
I strongly supported maidan for the first few weeks, I
hate Yanukovich like almost all of us, but even I voited for Russia at the end.
I know about people who get pensions in the Ukraine
and Russia – it’s your right to stop them. I know we are still using
International passports issued by Ukraine – I made new one just few weeks ago. I
know that we need Ukrainian power and water, but this is not the reason to tolerate with unfairness.
‘Everyone has his own truth’ – you have to
remember it.
.. and few words for mister president. You punished this people
for their Democratic vote, for What the
Founding Fathers believed, for what people of your country believe. People
in the States see only what you allow them to see. These sanctions against our
small beautiful land are so stupid. It shows people how weak is your country. Nothing else.