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Apple has threatened to remove Amphetamine from the App Store

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Re: Apple has threatened to remove Amphetamine from the App Store

#481

Post by saagarjha »

Sigh, this is disappointing. I’ve been using Amphetamine for years and it’s quite literally one of a handful of utility apps on the App Store that isn’t a scam or neutered by the policies of the store. Apple was right to recognize it it in the past, and they are wrong today in their reinterpretation of the guidelines.

FWIW, I do app review policy for iSH, which went though a similar situation recently (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25028252) where we managed to convince Apple that they had misinterpreted their review guidelines. If you’re looking for help to get Amphetamine approved as it should, feel free to contact me at saagar@saagarjha.com. I’d be really disappointed to see Amphetamine lose its years of brand value over such a petty review decision.

Re: Apple has threatened to remove Amphetamine from the App Store

#482

Post by ben0x539 »

cmorgan31 wrote: post #403
0xEFF wrote: post #359

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you expect to see a box on a shelf of any retail store labeled, “Amphetamine” with a colorful picture of drugs? It’s entirely reasonable for the retail store to tell the vendor to rename the product or else it will be removed from the shelf.

The best argument against Apple is the inconsistency in application of rules. If what you say is reasonable why would they also promote iOS apps whose explicit purpose is the simulation of cartel wars or marijuana dispensaries? My hot take is one doesn’t make much money for Apple while the others provide a clear incentive to act willfully ignorant given their in app revenue streams.

I think this is the weakest argument? Selective enforcement of rules is a time-honored tradition and seems to be explicitly reserved as the right of the rules-enforcer everywhere. It might be a good argument in a hypothetical debate about the fairness and compassion displayed by Apple, but I don't think you'd get far with it convincing either Apple itself or even a court if one somehow was interested.

Re: Apple has threatened to remove Amphetamine from the App Store

#483

Post by larusso »

huffmsa wrote: post #220
Bodell wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honestly if your name your product stupid things I would think that some of us might be choosing not to download your product as a result. And if a store decides not to sell your product because of this it’s really their prerogative. Saying you violated their terms with impunity for 6 years doesn’t mean they lose the right to correct the mistake. This name is pretty rings rather badly in my ears, though I’m not offen…

What if it was "caffeine"? A stimulant drug, just happens to be legal. Or Coca? A plant that release a stimulant when chewed. Now if the app was called "Sweet Meth", you'd have a better parallel with "fuck sleep", but it's not.

Funny you mentioning „caffeine“ [1]as this is also an app for macOS which solves the same purpose as the one posted. But this one is not in the App Store. I just had a look and next to amphetamine we have taurine, theine and caffeinated and a few more that use some form of coffee / a substance that keeps one awake. The „Prevent Sleep“ app is the only one which clearly states what it is for :) [1] https://intelliscapesolutions.com/apps/caffeine

Re: Apple has threatened to remove Amphetamine from the App Store

#484

Post by anigbrowl »

croes wrote: post #318
jMyles wrote: post #280

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While I wholeheartedly agree with the thrust of your argument (particularly that stigmatization is detrimental)... > it’s not referring to a street drug. Amphetamine (and other amphetamines) are certainly available as 'street drugs'. The stigmatization of 'street drugs' (and generally, drug use as part of someone's self-directed diet) is also harmful.

So apps with the words pep or speed in the name are also inappropriate?

Speed can refer to a drug, but it can refer to a lot of other things too; people will think very different things depending on whether they see the word next to a picture of pills or one of a running shoe.

You surely know this already.

Re: Apple has threatened to remove Amphetamine from the App Store

#485

Post by filetmignon »

mmaunder wrote: post #23

You’re angry. I’ve felt this in a trademark lawsuit. You think the world should get behind you and change the corrupt system. My advice is to immediately rebrand as gracefully and effectively as possible and use all that activist energy to effect the transition. They kind of have a point which doesn’t make them right, but they hold all the cards and you will lose this one and regret the wasted bandwidth.

This is absolutely horrid, imagine if Amazon could blacklist certain products they compete with

Re: Apple has threatened to remove Amphetamine from the App Store

#487

Post by webmobdev »

canjobear wrote: post #397
webmobdev wrote: post #324

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And do you really want Apple to be the arbitrator of such silly things?

For their own app store, of course.

The app store is a closed environment where they can dictate some terms. But don't forget that the developers PAY THEM to use it, and as such their terms cannot trump the consumer laws that exist to protect against abuse.

(By the way, "my shop, my terms" have already faced legal scrutiny, some of which were found to be illegal - popular judgements include that shops cannot refuse to serve people of colour or gays.)

Re: Apple has threatened to remove Amphetamine from the App Store

#488

Post by GavinMcG »

lsiebert wrote: post #466

I am not a lawyer, this is not legal advice, but the App store may constitute an essential facility for a desktop program developed specifically for Apple Computers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essential_facilities_doctrine

Sure, but they're not denying access to competitors. They're setting rules for use of the facility. "You can't promote illicit drug use in our facility" is a reasonable rule.

Whether the name "Amphetamine" does in fact promote illicit drug use may be up for question, of course, but that's got nothing to do with monopoly power.

Re: Apple has threatened to remove Amphetamine from the App Store

#489

Post by owenmarshall »

smnrchrds wrote: post #432
throwaway201103 wrote: post #422

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's the way warranties work. Warranty providers are not offering them at a loss. If you buy a home warranty, or an extended warranty for your car, you are (on average) going to be out of pocket more than you would be without it. You are buying it for the peace of mind that comes from not having to deal with an unlikely but major repair expense.

> That's the way warranties work Not at this price. Usually the warranty is a percentage of the price of the goods. So for example, I expect a $1000 gadget to have extended warranty priced at $100 or so. I have never seen the warranty of a $1000 gadget to be priced at $3000 to $5000 dollars. And that is for stuff that break down more frequently, e.g. phones and laptops and cars. The odds of a furnace breaking down ar…

I think the “party line” response to this would be that the warranties you get include preventative maintenance as well, making it a different proposition - you’re not just buying a warranty, but a full service plan after all. But I’ve never been convinced by that argument.

I just went through buying a furnace and had a few prospective installers. The first tried to sell the extended coverage: twice annual “checks and maintenance” and a 30% discount on all parts.

The second said he’d let me source the parts myself if I so desired and if I would be responsible for changing the air filter on schedule and hosing down the outside fan every summer I’d be better off putting the annual fee into a sinking fund. Or, I could pay him $200 a year to hold a hose, money he’d happily take. He got the job. ;-)

Re: Apple has threatened to remove Amphetamine from the App Store

#490

Post by vel0city »

smnrchrds wrote: post #296
incongruity wrote: post #252

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As are dentist visits and prostate exams - but even those things ultimately add value. HOA’s arguably do so as well even if they’re often hated.

But do most people consider them as such, i.e. painful but necessary/beneficial? My understanding was that they are widely regarded as parasitic organizations full of busybodies who are there to advance their personal agenda and to feel a sense of power over people at the expense of all the reasonable people who just want to live their lives; they are considered the polar opposite of live and let live . I personally…

I grew up in a large neighborhood with an HOA. There were a few times where my family butted heads with the HOA (replacing fences with a non-standard style, a play swing/slide thing being a bit tall) but for the most part the HOA was nice. They managed a park and pool for the neighborhood's exclusive use. They decorated the entrance signs to the neighborhood for the holidays. They put on some holiday events like an easter egg hunt/picnic, a fourth of july bike parade, Christmas light judging/awards. People didn't have tons of clutter in their front yards, the streets weren't super crowded with cars.
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