Re: re eBooks on Apple - Only From Apple?

On Fri, 13 May 2011, [email protected] wrote:

> What would stop them selling books from thier web site to use with thier
> reader, unless they have locked in DRM via thier reader app?
>
> I use the readdle docs apps, buy at baen books and use it to read them.
> I'm sure there's no cut from those book sales going to Apple.
>
> Even if they did want the DRM model, they could sell from thier site to
> load onto apple devices.
> Have thier books listed on thier app. Extra step for customer I guess, but
> sure you could link so it loads safari instead of itunes to purcahse.

This has been looked at and Apple's rules prohibit stepping around the in-app 
purchase requirement in the very way you describe. I will let Apple's own 
guidelines speak for themselves.

From https://www.cs76.net/images/5/54/IOSAppStoreGuidelines.pdf

> 11.13 Apps can read or play approved content (magazines, newspapers, books, 
> audio, music, video) that is sold outside of the app, for which Apple will 
> not receive any portion of the revenues, provided that the same content is 
> also offered in the app using IAP at the same price or less than it is 
> offered outside the app. This applies to both purchased content and 
> subscriptions.

> 11.14 Apps that link to external mechanisms for purchasing content to be used 
> in the app, such as a “buy" button that goes to a web site to purchase a 
> digital book, will be rejected.

First 11.13 - you can offer it via the outside website, and the customer can 
purchase it there. But when you do that, in order to comply with the rules, you 
must also offer it via IAP (In App Purchase), from which Apple takes 30%. You 
cannot charge a higher price inside the app to make up the higher cost of IAP.

Then 11.14 - once inside the app, you cannot link out to your website for 
purchases. You need to use IAP.

What do you think your users would do? Will they seek out the external website, 
and make all their purchases there, knowing that this is what you want? Or will 
they finish one book and go use the 'buy' button inside the application?

The only thing an ebook reader app can do to avoid this is not link to 
purchaseable content at all. Of course, it's going to have to be one super 
compelling application, given that the Apple user already has a built-in 
reader, and *that* one can connect to purchaseable content. Moreover, as iFlow 
points out, serious application development does not come cheap. So, you will 
also have to charge for your application ... while competing against the 
no-additional cost of iBooks.


: chris smith ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
: nihil tam munitum quod non expugnari pecunia possit - cicero :

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



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