New clause in iPhone 4.0 makes some iPhone RPG apps illegal?

catsclaw227 · Apr 20, 2010

OK gang -

I am NOT a lawyer, so someone who might be can help me answer this question...

There's a new clause in the iPhone 4.0 Software Development Kit (SDK) that is making lots of people crazy. Apparently, only approved, Documented APIs may be accessed by any iPhone apps (and only using certain languages) and any private APIs are now banned.

Apple Gives Adobe The Finger With Its New iPhone SDK Agreement

Important Part said:
3.3.1 — Applications may only use Documented APIs in the manner prescribed by Apple and must not use or call any private APIs. Applications must be originally written in Objective-C, C, C++, or JavaScript as executed by the iPhone OS WebKit engine, and only code written in C, C++, and Objective-C may compile and directly link against the Documented APIs (e.g., Applications that link to Documented APIs through an intermediary translation or compatibility layer or tool are prohibited).

Does this mean that iPlay4e and any other iPhone apps that reference an external APIs (private or non-approved Documented APIs) are now going to be illegal?

Will an app that accesses the DDI now be illegal as well?

The article is about Adobe and Flash, but it seems like it can apply to many different apps that use an intermediary layer to access an external API.

hexgrid · Apr 20, 2010

Isn't iplay4e just a web application? If so, it isn't effected by this at all.

malraux · Apr 20, 2010

JavaScript as executed by the iPhone OS WebKit engine,

Isn't that how iplay4e works?

wedgeski · Apr 20, 2010

catsclaw227 said:
The article is about Adobe and Flash, but it seems like it can apply to many different apps that use an intermediary layer to access an external API.

The DDI "API" is no more than a web address, it's not what Apple have in mind. No need to worry.

filthgrinder · Apr 20, 2010

This means iphone OS API's. It means that you can't comb through iPhone OS byte code, find an undocumented API and then start using it. The idea also is that you don't have an app that then calls stuff from another app.

iplay4e.com is just a website. Building an app to look at a website is fine. This will have no effect on RPG apps, or really any app actually. Its really nothing all that big at all. It is basically saying, "don't hack our OS".

OverloadUT · Apr 20, 2010

They are talking about APIs for accessing phone functions. You are grossly misunderstanding what this is about.

Stuff like iPlay4e and the billion other apps that access APIs are absolutely fine.

mearlus · Apr 20, 2010

If it were against the clause it wouldn't be illegal, it would just be a violation of their terms of service.

That being said, yeah it's just a website and doesn't apply to what apple is intending for programs being written to run on the iphone.

catsclaw227 · Apr 21, 2010

OK. Whew…

All the replies have alleviated my concerns. I’m glad that I read this the wrong way.

I truth, I actually read more about this later in the day (after I posted the OP), and forgot to come online to reply to my own OP. But it’s good to see what I read, reiterated here on EnWorld. It just proves that there’s a always a good mix of smart people to draw aid from on this site. No matter what the issue.

Plane Sailing · Apr 21, 2010

Furthermore it doesn't affect anything you've already got installed on your iphone anyway - it is the agreement for the 4.0 iphone sdk, and your existing stuff was done with earlier sdk versions.

Cheers