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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

#661

Post by dekhn »

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.

On the contrary: https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/2/22210295/apple-developer-a...

In this case, the complainer had several important details on their side: Apple had previously featured the app, the rule that they said was violated wasn't violated, and they tolerate other apps which violate those rules. It seems likely Apple realized in this case that it would be easier to keep the app since it's not like the app was ruining their family friendly image (although many people, especially in the US, picture the negative effects of methamphetamine additiction when they hear "amphetamine", amphetamine is actually an approved drug used by many in the US).

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

#662

Post by MauranKilom »

refulgentis wrote: post #628
MauranKilom wrote: post #464

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> When I buy a game called "Surgeon Simulator" I don't expect to receive actual surgeon training Fun fact: There are serious surgery training apps in the app stores. Surgeons, too, like to practice in a simulation rather than on real patients.

No, there isn't - certainly not for iOS, and not for Mac either, the App Store is barely hanging on by a thread

What about this? https://apps.apple.com/us/app/gastro-ex/id1202398609

(Full disclosure: I work at a sister company of Level Ex.)

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

#664

Post by lb504 »

frombody wrote: post #635
lb504 wrote: post #230

Earlier quoted context omitted.

macOS ships with a command line program called "caffeinate" that disables the sleep function of the laptop. With this background knowledge I was immediately able to assume Amphetamine is a more powerful program that provides the same results. With this background in mind I find the name to be clever.

And if someone made yet an even more powerful program called cocaine, that would be okay too, because the name fits so well. right?

That's funny because Apple maintains Coca, which is the name of the plant source of Cocaine. The Coca plant is controlled/regulated by the DEA exactly like cocaine is. So by following Apple's example in Apple's ecosystem it is okay to name things directly after drugs.

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

#665

Post by grzm »

lb504 wrote: post #664
frombody wrote: post #635

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And if someone made yet an even more powerful program called cocaine, that would be okay too, because the name fits so well. right?

That's funny because Apple maintains Coca, which is the name of the plant source of Cocaine. The Coca plant is controlled/regulated by the DEA exactly like cocaine is. So by following Apple's example in Apple's ecosystem it is okay to name things directly after drugs.

Cocoa and coca are not the same.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocoa_(API)

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

#666

Post by regulation_d »

0xEFF wrote: post #359
webmobdev wrote: post #266

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> My advice is to immediately rebrand as gracefully and effectively as possible and use all that activist energy to effect the transition. Apple will definitely appreciate it if all of us would just shut up and let them screw us. While I appreciate your well-meaning advise to the author - pick your battles in life carefully - I'd like to add that using your anger constructively at some injustice is a positive move to…

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.

This totally misses the main point: Apple could absolutely have brought this up within a reasonable amount of time. The issue here is reliance.

Granting app store approval to an app encourages the company to build around the app and around the brand. And Apple gave that approval for many years. And then, after all that time, decided that the brand is projecting an ethos that they don't approve of?

Apple's process doesn't just involve tacit approval. It's very active. They had so many opportunities to not give approval, to not hit the button, but they did and for quite a long time.

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

#667

Post by blatherard »

kortex wrote: post #445
blatherard wrote: post #142

I thought I should look at the App Store and see what this app is doing in comparison to similar apps. The logo is basically a big pill and the tagline "Powerful keep-awake utility" which is clearly alluding to the drug. https://imgur.com/a/RJXHaBa This was consistent with the feedback the author received: "[the] app appears to promote inappropriate use of controlled substances. Specifically, your app name and icon i…

What drug-use angle are they pushing? The pill logo is actually pretty typical of generic 15mg amphetamine/dexamphetamine salts, a common ADHD prescription, and nothing about the tagline strikes me as drug-adjacent. "Powerful keep-awake utility"? It does what it says on the tin.

You seem to be trying to say that each element in itself doesn't invoke the illegal drug use metaphor. Even if that were the case, my argument is that the three pieces bolster work together.

Just like if I named a game "Alcohol" and the logo was a glass with some liquid in it, and the tagline was "Have a good time". Individually none of those would necessarily be promoting drinking alcohol. After all, alcohol has uses for cleaning, and the glass is just a glass, and "Drink in the fun" is just describing what it's like playing the game. But if you put them together, they unequivocally do.

As for there being legitimate uses of amphetamines, I'm not saying there aren't (I'm well aware of these uses, personally). That doesn't mean the off-label uses are legal. AFAIK, at least in the US, using amphetamines solely to "keep awake" is an illegal usage, and the tagline is referring specifically to that.

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

#668

Post by eecc »

ufmace wrote: post #570
asddubs wrote: post #567

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not really that absurd, it's just not the most conventional definition. But I've heard it used that way before, especially in the context of philosophy

It's absurd in the sense that, if you accept that definition, then anything at all - taking any action or even taking no action at all - could be called violent, which makes the word meaningless. It points to an Orwellian level of thought control. If anything at all can be called violent by any level of tortured logic, then it's very good to be the person who decrees what actions will be considered to be violent and…

Well, no. This reaction is what people refer to when they say "loss of privilege" causes reactionary behavior.

If you think of it, even when you're not at the top of the food chain in your social order, being part of a dominant group makes your actions still causal to some sort of undesired or painful (and therefore violent) consequence to a member of the out-group. Nobody gets to decide what's good or bad, you just need to follow the chain of opportunity cost, determine who foots the bill and who reaps the interest.

It's indeed pretty hard to swallow...

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

#669

Post by colejohnson66 »

webmobdev wrote: post #487
canjobear wrote: post #397

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.)

Those “popular judgements” were because the laws on discrimination say so. There’s no law saying a store has to sell what they don’t want to. If Target (for example) decides to stop selling Pampers because they don’t like the name (for whatever reason), that’s their choice.

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

#670

Post by _qulr »

Solstinox wrote: post #660
_qulr wrote: post #659

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Just got off a call with @Apple. Appeal accepted and Amphetamine will remain on the @AppStore." https://twitter.com/x74353/status/1345421211677949957

Contrary to the original comment above yours, squeaky wheel gets the grease.

And my comment got downvoted of course. Because HN can't let pesky facts get in the way of good argument.

This site, sigh.

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