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Delicious Library for iPhone Pulled Due to Change in Amazon's Policies

Wednesday July 8, 2009 6:38 am PDT by Eric Slivka
Mac and iPhone developer Jim Dovey reports (via TechCrunch) that the iPhone version of the popular media cataloguing application Delicious Library has been pulled by the developer after being notified that that the application's use of Amazon data runs afoul of recent changes to the company's Product Advertising API license agreement.

So Amazon recently changed the terms of service for their Product Advertising API, which is in use in applications such as Delicious Library. This is (I believe) the API by which DL gets its book information, and through which it provides links to related items, reviews, etc.

The new license includes this marvellous little tidbit in section 4e:

"You will not, without our express prior written approval requested via this link, use any Product Advertising Content on or in connection with any site or application designed or intended for use with a mobile phone or other handheld device."

Importantly, the restriction applies only to mobile platforms. Delicious Library's developer, Wil Shipley, contacted Amazon to request permission to continue using the API in the iPhone version of Delicious Library, but was denied.

It remains to be seen whether Amazon will eventually grant an exception to its policies, Shipley will find another source for the necessary data, or if the iPhone version is truly gone for good.
[ 45 comments ]

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Roy Hobbs
Posted: 38 months ago
So does that mean my Delicious Library app will be deleted form my iPhone the next time I sync?
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives
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TraceyS/FL
Posted: 38 months ago
That stinks.

I use Readerware and they are "licensed" to pull data from a variety of places (based on what i read back when it was bought). HOpefully the developer works something out, i know a lot of people love it!
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sith33
Posted: 38 months ago
That language has been in the amazon agreement for a while. At least 6 months or so.
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crees!
Posted: 38 months ago

So does that mean my Delicious Library app will be deleted form my iPhone the next time I sync?

No, but only if Apple is forced to pull the kill-switch due to pressure from Amazon.
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libertyforall
Posted: 38 months ago
So what was the reason he was denied? How about some real reporting in this article -- the why part is significant...

The reasoning might be because Amazon has their own application for iPhone...
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jessica.
Posted: 38 months ago

So does that mean my Delicious Library app will be deleted form my iPhone the next time I sync?

I wondered the same but ...

No, but only if Apple is forced to pull the kill-switch due to pressure from Amazon.


***********

That language has been in the amazon agreement for a while. At least 6 months or so.

Can you prove that?

This is bullsh*t really. DL has been an app I use often for quite some time (back when it was really in beta stages). I love this app and was finally so pleased to see it on my iPhone. I was exporting my library to a webpage (via DL) and uploading it to my own website but that always required me to download the site onto my phone each time I wanted to view it. I love the DL app and only just got it up and running on my phone. Screw Amazon for this and the fact that they took away the referral commissions from NC residents.

Whoremongers.

So what was the reason he was denied? How about some real reporting in this article -- the why part is significant...


For the reasons set forth in section 4e of their agreement. Clearly.
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REBELinBLUE
Posted: 38 months ago
What makes this worse is that the touch app isn't actually using the API, it is syncing the data from the desktop version which uses the API.

Amazon are now saying you can't use data collected with the API on a mobile device, not just that you can't use the API on a mobile device without permission (which they have always said).
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jessica.
Posted: 38 months ago

What makes this worse is that the touch app isn't actually using the API, it is syncing the data from the desktop version which uses the API.

Amazon are now saying you can't use data collected with the API on a mobile device, not just that you can't use the API on a mobile device without permission (which they have always said).


Good catch. The phone also uses data sync'd from the desktop so ... technically we did not collect it via the mobile device.
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BeyondtheTech
Posted: 38 months ago
So the desktop version is still ok? I just bought the damn thing!
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pdjudd
Posted: 38 months ago

So the desktop version is still ok? I just bought the damn thing!


Yes, the desktop version is just fine. The licensing agreement issue appears to be related to mobile (iPhone) usage of Amazon API's - not desktop.
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