Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: Apple, App, Store, Rejects, Obama | Themes: Digital Entertainment, Audio/Video Players, 3GSM
Chalk another one up for the Apple App scientists, as they have now rejected President Obama's HOPE poster for no apparent reason.
Out of all the garbage the Apple App scientists have approved this year alone--child porn, shaking babies--it stands to question why the company would even consider rejecting artwork--and decent artwork at that--depicting President Barack Obama. Start Mobile, the company inserting an iPhone version of the Obama "Hope" artwork into its latest app, is probably wondering the same thing after a long run of approvals (18) from Apple. The App that contains the artwork, Start Mobile's Wallpaper Gallery (v1.0), also contains additional images, however the App and the other images aren't the problem, just Obama's face.
Supporters of Barack Obama are already aware of the "Hope" poster, created by Shepard Fairey, which depicts the hopeful democratic presidential candidate in red, white, and blue. It's awesome, it's inspiring, and entirely all-American. So what's the deal? Why did Apple reject the artwork? That's a good question, and here's the answer Apple provided the company:
"It contains content that ridicules public figures and is in violation of Section 3.3.12 from the iPhone SDK Agreement which states: 'Applications must not contain any obscene, pornographic, offensive or defamatory content or materials of any kind (text, graphics, images, photographs, etc.), or other content or materials that in Apple’s reasonable judgment may be found objectionable by iPhone or iPod touch users.'"
With that said Apple thus requested that Start Mobile make the necessary changes and resubmit the application.
After receiving Apple's rejection letter, John Doffing of Start Mobile fired back an email along with the image in question, asking rather nicely just what the company was talking about. There's nothing in the image that ridicules a public figure, nor is it obscene, pornographic, offensive or defamatory in any way. Readers who have kept up with Apple's App blunders over the years certainly know Obama's poster is unlike many of the obscene images that have slipped through Apple's finely-tunes senses. In fact, Shepard Fairey's depiction has been included in the National Portrait Gallery.
As Tech Crunch points out, Start Mobile has three other apps featuring the works of Shepherd Fairey already available in the App Store. Additionally, other approved applications are using the image and variations thereof. One application even uses an altered version of the Hope image as an icon, yet Apple won't approve the version Star Mobile submitted. Doffing said that Start Mobile has another app waiting for approval, it too containing a different piece of artwork depicting the president, and it's put on hold for the same reason.
Of course, Start Mobile could remove the images in question and resubmit the apps, but honestly, why should they? It's President Barack Obama! Doffing told Tech Crunch that the whole Obama image debate is just another case of the App Store approval process "gone off the tracks." Is it surprising? After the boobs, the child porn, and the shaking baby app infiltrating the Store, we believe it wholeheartedly.
Infuriated, Doffing contact Apple directly a few weeks ago where he was told that apps containing images of Obama were being rejected automatically thanks to the election back in February. Apparently, there was a lot of "incendiary political content" coming through the Apple App Store approval process, and according to Doffing, sometimes "the baby is thrown out with the bathwater." With that said, the rejection of the Obama image may not have anything to do with the actual depiction, but the amount of Obama material coming into the approval gates during the last five months.
Still, the rejection letter dates back to May, so we're not buying the excuse. As shown throughout this article, this latest rejection is just another example that Apple's approval process is broken and seriously needs an overhaul. Developers aren't making money when Apple rejects the apps for no reason, and consumers will lose faith if the company continues to allow questionable content filter into the Store, and reject the ones that actually inspire Americans during troubling economic conditions.
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"Apple rejects app for dunderheaded reason, film at 11."
Uh, the author's views are his own on this one, and don't represent the sentiments of all Tom's staff :-P
Instead of HOPE it should read, TAXED or SUXTOBEU or KENYAN or NOHOPE or LEFTY. LOL Nice going apple good choice! Hurry up 2012 and get this guy out of office get us back on the right track!
Oh wow, seriously what is wrong with them.
Instead of HOPE it should read, TAXED or SUXTOBEU or KENYAN or NOHOPE or LEFTY. LOL Nice going apple good choice! Hurry up 2012 and get this guy out of office get us back on the right track!
You got that right, idiot and friends.
What hope is there, when he just raised the totalamerican debt with over 3 trillion dollars (and still rising) in one day?
That's a common debt of $250.000 per person living in the USA! When are we going to pay that back?
Europe is already paying back! They have raised the taxes to 21,5% or higher; but lowering taxes will only work to get re-elected the first 4 years, after which they will need a gigantic boost!
Barak may be a great guy in person, I have nothing against him in person, and I'm sure he honestly tries to come up with solutions, but so far many of the decisions he made makes one question; who has higher moral, the president of a nation, or some of it's people?
I know for sure something must be wrong, when someone all of a sudden gets the idea to 'borrow' 3 trillion dollars (which took USA about 30 years to get into the first 3 trillion dollars of debt), and gives it to motor vehicle industries (which is non constitutional), to save them, instead all guys at the top of the chain all of a sudden get $+240.000 bonuses,and GM declares bankrupt only 3 months later?
Is that just a gigantic waste of money or what?
He did well in getting the troops out of Iraq. Let the Irakees kill eachother. If they hate America so badly, then let them be killed by their own 'taliban' brothers instead!
That terrorist organisation that have the urge to bring the world to the worst possible condition ever, under their terrorist and murderous rule; that buys weapons from USA to only later try to use them against USA...
Anyways, Obama is a symbol for the times,has done some great things, but not knowing, he's also destroying the economy very badly, and at a rapid rate!
Let the Irakees kill eachother. If they hate America so badly, then let them be killed by their own 'taliban' brothers instead!
Uh, the author's views are his own on this one, and don't represent the sentiments of all Tom's readers :-P
ProDigit80, you forfeit any rights to criticize anyone when you spell Iraqi as Irakee and think the Taliban are even part of that. You must be related to that Ms. South Carolina chick.
Politics aside this is just more fuel for the open source android fire. Clearly Apple is not capable of making good decisions, whether it be about shaking babies or a subliminal political message.
The is no art in making political propaganda poster.
Go Apple! Obama's face is offensive to me. He said that he wouldn't raise taxes on 95% of Americans but now he's considering it. If that's not lying I don't know what is.
Apple is retarded
I know I'll get flamed, but Apple has finally earned a respect point from me.
I'm wondering if their whole problem is literally the fact that it is an Obama picture.
And by the way, to the author of this article, great journalism. Way to go with stuffing this article full of your personal political agenda. LOL At least we know you're a huge Obama fan though.
I think Apple is getting desperate for sales.
I ask all of you who think that Apple was in the right on this move, what would your response have been had Apple denied an application including a picture depicting former President George W. Bush. The obvious, and certainly the correct assumption would be that it was the work of those damn high strung left-wing extremist, media yuppies who do nothing but promote their own well being.
./sarcasm
in related news, apple rejects a app containing the real cure for cancer and aids.
First of all I am not American, but come on guys since when does a hardware and software company ever intervened so much to what users can or cannot download.
If a similar poster Bush Jr/photo in white red blue/BRILLIANCE was to be available should be allowed. Users should be able to express their selves the way they want. Apple is flirting with fascism lately and I feel sorry to have bought many Apple products...
And by the way, to the author of this article, great journalism. Way to go with stuffing this article full of your personal political agenda. LOL At least we know you're a huge Obama fan though.
Unfortunetely this is par for the course. He usually masks it better, but Apple rejecting the image of his Messiah put him over the edge.
I agree with Apple. Why on earth should an app be for sale to display pics? Its not like you cant jump on safari and look at any image you wish. If they want to display art let them make a site. If their wanting to sale the art let them charge for burning to CD.
I'm sure someone using safari has read this and seen the image already.
Unless its been settled, and I didn't hear about it (a possibility), then the poster and artist are currently locked in a copyright infringement suit. Until that is settled, I don't see any corporate entity allowing this poster in their "stores".
SDL
Since the photo is definitely non-offensive i have to think that it's because it's the "black president". [My flame suit is on]
If you can look at a man who whose entire campaign was based upon empty promises of "change" and hope" you really are an idiot. The man has been in office a whopping 6 months and he has already increased the national debt by 860,000,000,000. Oh no folks that isn't too many zero's. For all the whining about how bad Bush was (oh he was) it took him 29 months to accumulate that much debt during his presidency.
Don't worry folks. "Hope" for more monopoly money to be printed out. I for one just hope that I'm dead before China starts asking for it back. God help my children.
http://www.treasurydirect.gov/NP/NPGateway
This poster and the rights behind it are being brought to court. The Associated Press say its a depiction of a picture they own! Apple has NO intention of getting sued by the AP which would defiantly happen if the AP wins against the artist who made the poster! Not even the Obama camp adopted the official use of the poster because of the legal battle!!!
You guys are journalists RESEARCH before you go flapping about because some app of THOUSANDS gets the axe.
Links:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/ [...] .html?_r=1
Correction: Definitely
Here I go making a spelling mistake. Can I have a job TH?
They should stop being police of apps in the app store. They are doing a horrible job of it.
I think the zune will have better apps, i hate to say it.
Apple ppl are evil big business republicans.....I knew it! LOL I'm a republican too.
Actually I think apple is a republican dominated company, or steve jobs is racist!
What hope is there, when he just raised the totalamerican debt with over 3 trillion dollars (and still rising) in one day?That's a common debt of $250.000 per person living in the USA! When are we going to pay that back?Europe is already paying back! They have raised the taxes to 21,5% or higher; but lowering taxes will only work to get re-elected the first 4 years, after which they will need a gigantic boost!Barak may be a great guy in person, I have nothing against him in person, and I'm sure he honestly tries to come up with solutions, but so far many of the decisions he made makes one question; who has higher moral, the president of a nation, or some of it's people?I know for sure something must be wrong, when someone all of a sudden gets the idea to 'borrow' 3 trillion dollars (which took USA about 30 years to get into the first 3 trillion dollars of debt), and gives it to motor vehicle industries (which is non constitutional), to save them, instead all guys at the top of the chain all of a sudden get $+240.000 bonuses,and GM declares bankrupt only 3 months later?Is that just a gigantic waste of money or what?He did well in getting the troops out of Iraq. Let the Irakees kill eachother. If they hate America so badly, then let them be killed by their own 'taliban' brothers instead!That terrorist organisation that have the urge to bring the world to the worst possible condition ever, under their terrorist and murderous rule; that buys weapons from USA to only later try to use them against USA...Anyways, Obama is a symbol for the times,has done some great things, but not knowing, he's also destroying the economy very badly, and at a rapid rate!
do you know why he has to do that?
thx to the REPUBLICANS AND BUSH AND DICK CHENEY for their great effort of "fuck it all up"
now saying I like everything that Obama did, I didn't like any of them. but if Mccain won the battle, its just gonna be worst.
why? cuz they are not gonna do anything.
back to topic. FUXK APPLE.
they approved all those childp0rn and other kinds of sick shit, but for some reason a picture with Obama's face on it offended them so bad that they just gotta put that "no" on the appz. ROFL.
The more ridiculious shit apple do, the more I love myself being an Apple-Free man
Yes Obama spent $860,000,000,000 on the Economy that GWB let go in the
cutter. It might take another $860,000,000,000 to clean up Bushes Mess, but
let's wait 3.5 years before we Judge Obama. As far as the Apple App Store, I think
they got this one wrong, I think it's a form of Censorship, if people want to pay to
download it let em. They can goto Itunes and down load perverted Songs about Putang
and drugs and alcohol, why can't they down load a simple poster of Obama. What is Apple
thinking about?????
Maybe the text message that breaks it says Obama or something