Apple outlawing content sold outside of their service

It shouldn't impact it at all. You don't buy resources within the app. You purchase it online and it syncs the license with your desktop, iPad. Your ability to access resources within the app is based upon your Logos ID and password.

This could really be bad!!!!!!!!!

“We have not changed our developer terms or guidelines. We are now requiring ...”

From the Apple spokesperson's own words, they're at best ambiguous and at worst disingenuous. Like the propaganda from 1984, "War is peace."

In Apple's defense, it's their platform. They can do what they want. It sure would be great to get 25+% of iPhone / iPod Touch / iPad users to boycott the App Store for a month just to show Apple we're paying attention.

Donnie

Take a deep breath. The sky is not falling.

Garrett has it right. Nothing has changed in the developer guidelines. There is nothing new here. All Apple is saying is that if you want to do in app purchases you have to use the IAP API. Additionally, if you are going to send consumers to another place to do the purchasing (device web browser, for instance) that you also provide an in app purchase option as well. This is no threat to the mobile Logos experience.

From Wired:

"Apple also allegedly told Sony that the app couldn’t access content
purchased on other Sony Reader devices, which is where most of the
outrage was focused. Amazon’s Kindle app and Barnes & Noble’s Nook
app are both popular mechanisms for users to download and read books
that they have purchased from the respective stores. Many feared that
this supposed change in Apple policy would take their e-books away from
their iPads, iPhones and iPod touches."

http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2011/02/apple-cut-of-e-book-sales/

I always figured Logos app would eventually be pulled because of the nature of the content (homosexuality is a sin, Islam is evil, or something like that since that also violates Apple's policy).  Whether it's the content's content or the fact it is purchased outside Apple, I think the Logos app's days are numbered.

Apple sells many books through iBooks including ones that might be described as homophobic, Apple has rejected some apps that they have deemed hate promoting. But Apple is searching to broaden it's print media not restrict it. Sony was trying to sell it;s books in app, that is a no-no... amazon kindle, barns and noble all go externally to the web from the app to sell. Apple might shot itself in the foot, but I have said it before and will say it again this would be a big death nail in iPads coffin if it happened, iOs is all about content if content is limited it will be the biggest boost to Android and WebOS tablets ever. I have called Apple and while I didn't speak to someone high up in the company I was assured that apple had no plans to change things on the iOS beyond subscriptions, if you have a newspaper app that isn't free, apple wants a cut of it... NY TIMES I believe had an app and was selling subscriptions externally Apple told them to make it free or to allow profit sharing. Apple is a smart company, they have a head start with the iPAD but if content gets limited people will go elsewhere even if they have to pay more for less. 

-Dan

Here's a recent article that might indicate retailers are not going to put up with Apple's new policy:

http://money.cnn.com/2011/02/16/technology/rhapsody_apple_subscriptions/index.htm?hpt=T2

My understanding is that Apple is requiring that if you make content available in an app that is sold from outside the app, you must do the following:

1) Also allow that content to be sold in-app through the iStore at the same price

2) Not give any link in-app to ways of buying the content out -of-app

3) Restrict in-app purchases to only be available on an iOs device.

(gleaned from a number of articles and blogs I read over the last few days).  If correct, this seems rather draconian.

Don't 1 and 3 contradict each other?  Or if  not contradict, aren't they working against each other?

The way I understand it, content purchased in-app may not be made available outside the iOs device.

Apple's press release http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2011/02/15appstore.html does not include content restriction outside iOS devices.

Some iOS applications choose to have content only available on iOS devices.

One business response to purchasing digital content using Apple's in app store is limiting content use to iOS devices so consumers need to pay more to use on other platforms.  However, if consumer purchases digital content directly from publisher, content could be freely used on iOS and other devices.

Keep Smiling

If I'm reading the press release correctly, this only applies to subscriptions?  Not necessarily to content purchased on a "permanent" basis?

Sounds very much like the iTunes model before the market forced Apple to start offering non-DRMed music.

The way I understand it, content purchased in-app may not be made available outside the iOs device.

The following comes straight from Apple's developer license agreement (emphasis on the last line added by me):

Attachment 2 (to the Agreement) Additional Terms for Use of the In App Purchase API

The following terms are in addition to the terms of the Agreement and apply to any use of the In App Purchase API in Your Application:

1. Use of the In App Purchase API

1.1 You may use the In App Purchase API only to enable end users to purchase content, functionality, or services that You make available for use within Your Application (e.g. digital books, additional game levels, access to a turn-by-turn map service). You may not use the In App Purchase API to offer goods or services to be used outside of Your Application.

Earlier in the doc:

3.3.3 Without Apple’s prior written approval or as permitted under Section 3.3.23 (In App Purchase API), an Application may not provide, unlock or enable additional features or functionality through distribution mechanisms other than the App Store.

I don't know that this section would apply to something like Logos since we aren't exactly talking features and functionality, but it seems it could apply that companies can receive permission from Apple to enable access to content purchased outside of the app. But, the first quote above certainly indicates that anything purchased through iOS is supposed to stay in iOS. I would guess that this would be to prevent people from writing iOS apps that facilitate illegal activities, so leeway may be given to legitimate digital content providers.

Where/what are my mistakes?

Your mistake is in using a Palm Reader app as your example. I spent half the post thinking you were talking about some HP Palm device or software! [:D]