iPhone Developer Agreement Bans iPhone OS Jailbreak

Apple has updated the agreement it has with iPhone developers to include a few clauses that mention a certain jailbreaking practice as not condoned. According to a reliable news source, jailbreaking, assisting in jailbreaking, and developing and distributing jailbreak apps are just a few of the no-nos included in Apple's updated agreement with iPhone devs.

As an ars technica report indicates, Apple forbids the creation of apps that violate privacy, facilitate crimes, or violate intellectual property laws. Apple is, of course, entitled to forbid these things and even more, should, but “how is this tied to jailbreaks?” one may ask. Here's how.

The same report goes to outline that, among the lengthy paragraphs, one clause stipulates that developers are no longer allowed to jailbreak their own phones or assist others in jailbreaking their phones, including (but not limited to) working on projects such as QuickPwn or PwnageTool, the ars report says. Moreover, devs are also forbidden from using the iPhone OS, SDK, or other developer tools to craft applications for distribution in any way other than the App Store or the Ad Hoc distribution method. This, implicitly bans distribution via repos such as Cydia.

Ars finally posts a couple of “relevant” clauses in their entirety, for a better understanding of the new additions to the agreement.

(e)You will not, through use of the Apple Software, services or otherwise, create any Application or other program that would disable, hack or otherwise interfere with the Security Solution, or any security, digital signing, digital rights management, verification or authentication mechanisms implemented in or by the iPhone operating system software, iPod touch operating system software, this Apple Software, any services or other Apple software or technology, or enable others to do so; and

(f) Applications developed using the Apple Software may only be distributed if selected by Apple (in its sole discretion) for distribution via the App Store or for limited distribution on Registered Devices (ad hoc distribution) as contemplated in this Agreement.

The site adds that jailbreaking allows users and developers to access the UNIX foundation of the iPhone OS. Apple, of course, wants as little nosing around in there as possible.