back to article Apple tosses Sony iBooks rival from iTunes

Sony's plans to release a virtual version of its e-book reader on the iPhone and iPad have been dashed by Apple. Sony announced in November 2010 that it was readying a Reader app for iOS devices. Just recently, it finished the software and submitted it to Apple for inclusion in the iTunes App Store. This week, the Japanese …

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  1. P Zero
    Troll

    Odd.

    On the link for the Android version of the app, they show a HTC smartphone. No confidence in your products, Sony?

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Stop

    Another nail in iOS platforms coffin.

    Welcome to Android Sony....

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Tool

      Yes - because the whole world marketplace for smartphones can only accommodate android?

      Tool.

    2. Giles Jones Gold badge

      Erm

      Sony Ericsson X10? Sony already produce Android phones. They tend to prefer Linux over Microsoft and Apple where possible.

  3. DZ-Jay

    It is more subtle than that

    As I understand it, Apple recently started cracking down on apps that implement an in-app store without going through the in-app purchases infrastructure provided by Apple. I believe this was always a restriction in the license agreement, but one that they recently started enforcing. Electronic magazines, games, and other apps have been recently removed from the app store for this very reason.

    Amazon's Kindle does not violate this restriction since the user is invited to the Amazon site itself to purchase their books, and the transaction is not handled through the app itself. It appears that Sony did not want to implement an external e-commerce site and tried to bundle the store within the app.

    Apple's stated position is that they need to maintain control of monetary transactions within the platform in order to protect the consumer from dodgy apps. I tend to agree with them, but take that as you will.

    -dZ.

    1. Giles Jones Gold badge

      In app purchases

      It's more about vendors giving away apps and then charging money via their own payment system. It's hardly in the interests of Apple to let this happen.

      Would Sony let a game vendor charge nothing for a PS3 game (Sony get a royalty for each game sold) only for the game to need to activated online for a fee? (and not via Sony's online services). Of course not.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      I wonder what, if anything, this could mean for Amazons Store App

      The Amazon store app allows me to browse the store and place orders for home delivery among other features. It all goes on my Amazon account, so that sounds like that might be curtailed at some point too. Shame, it's very handy.

  4. David Lucke

    How very odd

    I'm dubious that this is to do with buying the books in-app. That would rather fly in the face of the recent changes to allow people to buy stuff in-app - whats the point of adding functionality then booting the apps of anyone who uses it?. Also, whilst Kindle redirects to the amazon website, there are other ebook readers that have their store built right in - the txtr reader, for instance, seems to be able to buy books straight through the app. Of course, txtr is very much a bit player in the reader stakes, but having different rules for app developers based purely on who they are and how big they are, rather than app functionality, seems tailor made for massive lawsuits.

    I'm thinking there must be something else going on here, the statement from Sony was pretty vague, and surely even Apple wouldn't do something that will open itself up to yet more lawyer attack quite so blatently, and from massive new companies as well as the usual suspects to boot?

    Yes, I know, cue millions of people responding that Apple are indeed that stupid/arrogant...

  5. mr vit
    Jobs Horns

    dictator Jobs

    "Apple bans third-party apps that duplicate functionality provided by iOS' built-in applications. "

    maybe third-party apps provide better functionality than the app provided by iOS? why not let the consumer decide?

  6. Steve Dulieu

    How to Get Android Version

    Anyone know? Searching market on my 2.2 Desire for Sony Reader doesn't work and the download software link on the sony reader site just offers PC and Mac versions.

    1. dotdavid

      I think it's down as Reader in the market...

      ...which means it's a bit difficult to find!

      This appbrain link might help - http://www.appbrain.com/app/reader/com.sony.drbd.mobile.reader

  7. Syren Baran
    Jobs Horns

    In-App purchases

    That seems to be core problem. Apple no longer seems to allow content purchased via non-Appstore channels. The Kindle-App is likely to be banned in future as well. Also, there is investigation in Belgium against Apple for banning newspaper apps which provide content not sold via the Appstore.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Down

    It's all about In App Purchases

    I suspect this has nothing to do with Reader competing with iBooks and everything to do with Apple's recent clamp down on companies bypassing in-app purchases (together with Apple's 30% cut) for content.

    Hopefully Apple will backtrack on this but somehow I can't see them doing that

    1. Elmer Phud

      nai l- head

      I reckon that 30% has more to do with it than anything else.

  9. Giles Jones Gold badge

    App cool wall

    If you think of the app approval process as similar to the cool wall on Top Gear but with Jobs instead of Clarkson then you'll probably realise how it works :)

  10. Wang N Staines

    How very odd

    that Apple are screwing others.

  11. Peter Clarke 1
    Jobs Horns

    Steve Jobs email to Sony CEO

    No big deal. get over it

  12. FARfetched
    Paris Hilton

    Payback?

    More coverage at Ars Technica: http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2011/02/change-in-apple-policy-has-e-book-fans-worried-about-their-apps.ars

    Sony seems to go out of their way to be incompatible with OSX, sometimes. Even when they do throw Mac users a bone, for example the "connect" software for my crappy S-E featurephone, it doesn't work very well.

    I seriously doubt not having Sony Reader on iOS going to give Android any kind of boost — Sony's running a distant third in the e-reader pack, and is likely to be overtaken by Kobo if it hasn't happened already.

    Paris, because her software works with everyone's hardware.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Jobs Horns

      Maybe not

      But having Apple insist they need to protect us from the likes of Sony, simply because Sony refuses to give them a cut of the action, is not going to help their cause

      Last upgrade time my preferred supplier didn't have any decent android handsets so I gave in a got an iPhone, and while I do like the iPhone, I don't like Herr Jobz trying to protect me from myself. I'm not a child and I can make up my own mind.... and next time I upgrade I will be getting an Android handset.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Sony eBooks

    The idea of an eBook app is nice, but Sony don't have the infrastructure to deliver the same experience as buying through Kindle. With Kindle, if you buy the book on iOS it is also immediately available on your PC, Mac and your Kindle when you get it.

    The Sony readers in the UK don't have WiFi and Sony don't even deliver their own content in Britain. So if you bought an eBook on your iPhone, you probably could get it on to your reader when you buy one of their very nice piece of hardware.

  14. Adam T
    FAIL

    Duplicate functionality

    "Apple bans third-party apps the duplicate functionality provided by iOS' built-in applications."

    Been asleep how long? Apple dropped this policy years ago.

    Unless you meant duplicating the functionality of the In-App Purchases API, which unfortunately you didn't.

    As mentioned in some of the other comments, and as other blogs & news sites all over the internet have figured out, this is about controlling the flow cash - Apple wants people to use their own In-App purchases API, not something else, "trusted" or otherwise.

  15. Mike Powers
    Gates Horns

    Microsoft lawsuit?

    So Microsoft got their butts sued over providing Internet Explorer bundled with Windows, which was apparently "anticompetitive".

    Now here's Apple OVERTLY DECLARING that they won't let you bring in programs that "duplicate" Apple functionality and allow users to make purchases via channels that aren't controlled by Apple.

    It would be pretty ironic if Apple got sued over this and the plaintiffs cited the Microsoft lawsuit as precedent!

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