Latest iPhone developer agreement bans jailbreaks

[steven1313]

The "iPhone Developer Program License Agreement" governs what iPhone developers can and cannot do. Now, jailbreaking, assisting in jailbreaking, and developing and distributing jailbreak apps are among the things that the latest revision of that agreement does not condone.

Of course, Apple forbids the creation of apps that violate privacy, facilitate crimes, or violate intellectual property laws. But registered developers can no longer jailbreak their own phones or assist others in jailbreaking their phones, including (but not limited to) working on projects such as QuickPwn or PwnageTool. Developers are also forbidden from using the iPhone OS, SDK, or other developer tools to develop applications for distribution in any way other than the App Store or Ad Hoc distribution—which of course rules out distribution via Cydia, free or otherwise.

The relevant clauses in the agreement, a copy of which was made available to Ars, are as follows:

(e)You will not, through use of the Apple Software, services or otherwise, create any Application or other program that would disable, hack or otherwise interfere with the Security Solution, or any security, digital signing, digital rights management, verification or authentication mechanisms implemented in or by the iPhone operating system software, iPod touch operating system software, this Apple Software, any services or other Apple software or technology, or enable others to do so; and

(f) Applications developed using the Apple Software may only be distributed if selected by Apple (in its sole discretion) for distribution via the App Store or for limited distribution on Registered Devices (ad hoc distribution) as contemplated in this Agreement.

Though jailbreaking allows access to apps that Apple doesn't approve of and enables unlocking the phone from approved carriers, it also allows users and developers access to the UNIX underpinnings of iPhone OS, which both groups could have perfectly legitimate reasons for wanting. These provisions aren't likely to stop the iPhone Dev Team from working on a jailbreak for iPhone OS 3.0, but there are certainly developers who will think twice about helping in those efforts or distributing a rejected app for jailbroken phones, lest they lose access to the iPhone developer program altogether.

Jailbreaking will continue as long as it offers even a small subset of users something they want but Apple won't allow. Still, preventing developers from being involved in jailbreaking in any way can actually be a hinderance to developers looking to squeeze the best performance possible out of their apps, or those looking to experiment outside of Apple's walled garden.

[via arstechnica]

A quick summary from SkylarEC:

Originally Posted by SkylarEC

• A developer can not use Apple software to create jailbreaking utilities/tools.
• A developer may not use Apple software to create code signing utilities (such as ldid).
• A developer can not distribute iPhone/iPod touch applications created with Apple software via any other means but Apple themselves.

[ZunePod]

And how can they prove that u jailbroke someones iPhod?

Say if you used another computer. Last time I checked, they didnt have cameras everywhere

[Kiks52]

Is there a way for them to know? Front paged.

[jamil_d]

This is interesting... What will SkylarEC do?

This prospect is very disturbing and could have devastating repercussions throughout the community.

this wont stop them...

A) how would apple know?
B) hasn't this always been accepted, or implied to be in the agreement?
c) having it in writing wont change much.

[tech3475]

At least they admit it wont stop people. However devs may think twice before releasing a rejected app....instead they will prob just change the name and picture to throw apple off (like they'll decompile it).

Still, Apple need to relaise that as long as the iphone is a closed platform this will continue....the day when everything that we can do on cydia can be done legally on the appstore (minus piracy of course) then it will be a good day.

[G8D]

I still have faith in the devs of the jailbreaking community.. Don't let us down..

[SkylarEC]

That only states three things:

• An developer can not use Apple software to create jailbreaking utilities/tools.
• A developer may not use Apple software to create code signing utilities (such as ldid).
• A developer can not distribute iPhone/iPod touch applications created with Apple software via any other means but Apple themselves.

Gcc is not Apple software, so I will continue to compile jb apps using it. If apple wants to complain about developing on OS X, then I will simply plug in my Linux machine that has the complete working/patched/upgraded toolchain on it and tell Apple I used that to develop.

Honestly, this is nothing to really worry about.

[jamil_d]

Thank you for clearing that up SkylarEC, I now feel so much more relieved that you'll keep developing for jailbroken devices

[JailBreakerUK]

Suck my *whistles* apple.

You wont stop me, jailbroken for ever!