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It appears they updated the EULA afterwards. Before that, it expressly did not permit selling outside Apple platforms. http://venomousporridge.com/po...

Which would have made some sense when it was iBooks-format only. But now that you can Publish in ePub, it makes just as much sense that they changed that part of the EULA, too, right?

It appears they updated the EULA afterwards. Before that, it expressly did not permit selling outside Apple platforms.
http://venomousporridge.com/po...

That would alleviate some of my concerns, but from the engaged writeup: "Most importantly of all, any book that you publish must be an exclusive to iBooks." (http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/19/apples-ibooks-author-hands-on/#continued) Not too open.

Let me repeat that with context: "Most importantly of all, any book that you publish for a fee must be an exclusive to iBooks." There is nothing that says you can't give away the eBooks for free outside of iBooks. http://venomousporridge.com/post/16126436616/ibooks-author-eula-audacity quotes the license thusly:

B. Distribution of your Work. As a condition of this License and provided you are in compliance with its terms, your Work may be distributed as follows:

(i) if your Work is provided for free (at no charge), you may distribute the Work by any available means;

(ii) if your Work is provided for a fee (including as part of any subscription-based product or service), you may only distribute the Work through Apple and such distribution is subject to the following limitations and conditions: (a) you will be required to enter into a separate written agreement with Apple (or an Apple affiliate or subsidiary) before any commercial distribution of your Work may take place; and (b) Apple may determine for any reason and in its sole discretion not to select your Work for distribution.

Fuck, why should Apple give away an authoring tool so anyone but them can profit from it by selling it on Amazon? Yet they still allow you to give away any books made with it for free any way you want. What more do you want?

The patent has nothing to do with the application. Did anyone read the damn thing? Hell, did anyone read the submission which flat-out states that the illustration is just an example of a possible use of the technology?

Here's an update saying the initial knee-jerk reaction is wrong.

It's amazing how easy it is to emotionally rile up Slashdot regardless of any facts. Just mention one of the following:

1.) Patents
2.) GPL theft
3.) MPAA/RIAA

Boom, 500 angry comments from people who didn't RTFA. How many ignorant people aren't going to read the update or the patent and subsequently go on thinking Apple is "mining app store submissions for patent ideas" because they saw it in a Slashdot headline?

Shameful.

"Gaffe"? So they stole it accidental-like?

Dear typical knee-jerk Apple-hater:

http://venomousporridge.com/post/909651311/whereto-patent-followup

P.S. I thought intellectual property couldn't be "stolen," according to every copyright discussion on Slashdot.

Obligatory.