14 DAY TRIAL // Just last month, Apple posted an open message on its Developer Connection site, announcing that it was dropping the non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with developers for released iPhone software. Apple has now publicized new terms for registered devs, defining new limits for "Apple Confidential Information" protected by the NDA.
THIS IS A LEGAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN YOU AND APPLE INC. ("APPLE") STATING THE TERMS THAT GOVERN YOUR PARTICIPATION AS A REGISTERED IPHONE DEVELOPER, reads the PDF.
Developers previously reported that Apple's strict NDA was preventing them from communicating their progress among one another, sharing expertise, leading to a great deal of fuss. Therefore, last month, Apple issued the above-mentioned message, saying...
We have decided to drop the non-disclosure agreement (NDA) for released iPhone software... the NDA has created too much of a burden on developers, authors and others interested in helping further the iPhone’s success, so we are dropping it for released software. Developers will receive a new agreement without an NDA covering released software within a week or so. Please note that unreleased software and features will remain under NDA until they are released.
With the new agreement out, Apple continues to restrict Apple Confidential Information, including "any Apple pre-release software (including related documentation and materials) and any information disclosed by Apple to you in connection with Apple Events or Paid Content," AppleInsider points out.
As for the Paid Content, it is defined as "certain proprietary content (including, without limitation, video presentations and audio recordings) that Apple may make available to you from time to time for a separate fee," the same source observes. Therefore, we are left to believe Apple will be distributing training materials to developers, in exchange for a fee, while the Apple University mentioned yesterday might play an important role in this initiative, the publication suggests.