It seems that non profit organizations are not normally allowed.
VLC got in by using the developer company name who donated their services.
Maybe it is too big to kick off now but maybe it is best get it while you can.


"For now, the iOS app remains on Apple's App Store; Goyet says that Applidium gets to decide (for the time being, anyway) how long it will stay there. That said, if you don't already have it, it might be a good idea to grab the app now in the event Applidium or VideoLAN decides that it needs to come down."
http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/20...m_campaign=rss

The article states that VideoLAN 'had a hard time' getting a developer account, due to it's status as a non-profit organisation.

We're not told why they couldn't get an account. Maybe they don't have a credit card. Or a business address.

The main issue with the VLC app is the 'open' GPLv2 license possibly being incompatible with the Apple App Store's licensing model.

From the wiki.

"Applications developed through the enterprise program, officially the "iOS Enterprise Developer Program" (iDEP), are exclusively for institutional use and do not get published on the App Store. This allows corporations, non-profits and government agencies to develop proprietary "in-house" applications not for public release.[11] The enterprise program was updated September 14, 2010, to allow any organization with a DUNS number to join. Prior to this date, only organizations with 500 or more employees could join the enterprise program."

So not for profit applications are not published in the app store and are technically hidden from joe public?
There is no mention of a any middle ground where not for profit software gets onto the store so it looks like VLC and the donating partner used a loop hole.
Their partner of course develops revenue earning software so thats how it landed.

So two problems?

I think you have completely missed the issue with VLC.

The piece you have taken from Wikipedia is totally irrelevant, so I'm not going to comment on it (that is referring to a system that lets companies make software that only their staff can use - hence it not appearing on the App Store).

VLC like many other pieces of open source software is released under a software licence (GPL) that requires anyone who is distributing that software to comply with several terms.

The App Store doesn't allow several of those licence terms to be fulfilled, so the creators of VLC are threatening Apple with legal action.

The people that made and released the iOS version of VLC are not the same as those that originally created it.

"The original plan was to have VideoLAN submit the app to the App Store, but due to complications during the submittal process (VideoLAN had a hard time getting a developer account)"

Yes the current situation is something different.

But it certainly brings up the subject of not for profit as a side issue.
Which is why there is very little of it in the store is certainly a subject in itself.

Non disclosure agreements certainly means no one in the know can really comment.

I can't see any reason why "not for profit" developers can't release Apps (a huge majority of Apps on the App Store are free).

I'm not sure what your source for this is.


The NDA for the iOS SDK only covers pre-release software. It is now possible to talk openly about virtually any aspect of the iOS development process.

As far as I understand it, the only problem with it being on there is that it's been submitted by people nothing to do with the original creators, and without their permission. I don't think there are any problems with App Store regulations or not-for-profit organisations, after all there are plenty of apps for charities you can download.

With the Android phone and 'open source' apps really picking up are Apple shooting themselves in the foot?

Why pay a lot of money for something when you have a company being pedantic about what you can do with your phone?

Why sit in a closed garden when you could just open the gate?

Apple seems to be too much of a 'closed shop' and although the iphone is a lovely piece of kit i wouldn't want a company halfway around the world dictating to me what i could do with it.

I bet Jobs is loving all the jailbreaking and invalidated warrantys that goes with it.

How many times do we have to read the same thing rehashed over and over again?

In other news..

How Can I Tell If an Android App Is Malware?

I didn't realise that Malware is such a major problem on Android. So any software can be sold / given-away on the Andoid Market and could be a Trojan or spyware? No checks, no questions asked?

It's not a real problem, but it's incredibly difficult to tell what software is doing unless you have access to the source code of that software.

If you run software on any device, you have to trust that piece of software is doing what it claims to do.

It won't be long before Apple start charging people rent (after buying one) to use the iPhone.

The iPhone 5

£600 = sim-free handset fee
£1 per 24 hours for use of iOS 5

Mobs would sell you an air you breathe if he could so a concept of a non profit organisation must creep him out.