Basecamp thought it was following Apple’s rules when it launched a new email app called Hey last week.
Hey, which costs $99 per year for a more private and serene take on email, distributed its iPhone and iPad apps for free, and it carefully omitted any mention of its website, where users can become paid subscribers. By making users connect the dots on how to sign up, Basecamp believed it could steer clear of the App Store’s in-app purchase system, which entitles Apple to 30% of subscription revenues (or 15% after one year).
It turns out Apple’s rules are more complicated than Basecamp thought. After initially letting Hey into the App Store, Apple said it should never have done so and blocked Basecamp from delivering future updates. Apple also threatened to boot Hey from the App Store altogether unless Basecamp reworked its app or embraced in-app purchases—not a great look as Apple kicks off its annual Worldwide Developers Conference this week.
The controversy around Hey shows…
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Source : fastcompany.com
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