There are dozens of iPhone apps covering urban transit, schedules and related ephemera. Whether these apps are official or come from an independent developer, free or pay to play, there’s never been a public pissing match like this over what is publicly owned and published information.

The Advocate reports that Apple has pulled Chris Schoenfeld’s, a blogger and creator of StationStops.com, transit schedule information app for the iPhone from the App Store after New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) asked the Apple to stop distributing the software.

Purportedly, the MTA demanded that Apple remove the app because it didn’t carry an approved disclaimer (i.e. this app has nothing to do with the MTA). Later, this public agency then refused to allow Schoenfeld’s software back on the App Store until he paid $5,000 in advance royalties, a demand which was later reduced to $700 one time fee.

“It’s an amount we view as a reasonable settlement of the public’s fair share of the money he earns from his application,” said MTA spokesman Aaron Donovan.

Schoenfeld sold his app from October of last year through August of this for $2.99 a crack, so he might have paid a little rent with that — great sin that is.

Let the lawyers drive the trains, too

Then again, royalties for what? The official spin adjusted explanation is that Schoenfeld used images from the official transit agency Web site and the public should be reimbursed for that, says the MTA.

Whether or not he should or shouldn’t be allowed to use the images is a question worthy of debate. However, by what twisted logic can government assess a royalty on the republication of public information? Could tourists be charged to take mobile phone snaps of the Statue of Liberty? Absurd.

Nevertheless, one really wonders why the MTA doesn’t offer an official mobile/iPhone app for $2.99 or even for free? Maybe they could hire, I don’t know, Schoenfeld to write it for them…

What’s your take?

Related:

Apple iPhone ads pulled in UK for being "misleading"

Apple iPhone advert banned for misleading viewers

NCAA March Madness on Demand delivering traffic

iPhone tops Pre, all comers in customer satisfaction

iPods and iPhones: death for the book trade

Entry was posted on Tuesday, September 8th, 2009 at 12:56 am under Commercial Software, Internet, Legal, News, Opinion, iPhone, iPod Touch.  Print This Post

Read more entries by Ronald O Carlson.
Stumble It!