Is there a way to check whether an iphone application name is available to use? Would a search on iTunes and checking to see if there is an existing application already out there be indicative that an iphone application name is available to use or not?
As pointed out here, even if you search the traditional channels, there may still be someone who has claimed that same name but not submitted an application yet. If you wish to truly test this out, it sounds like you can start the process of submitting an application on iTunes Connect, fill in the name of your new application, but don't complete the submission. You should receive an indication as to whether someone else has this same store name. If not, it appears you now have a claim to that name.
In any case, because you can have a different name in the store than is displayed on the iPhone, you might be able to use a slight permutation on the name for your store submission, and your desired name within the iPhone application itself.
However, I would second sgmeyer's suggestion that you do a USPTO trademark search first before using a name. Trademark infringement can get you in trouble later on.
I would recommend searching the app store for the name you wish to use. Also, you might want to check the United States Patent and Trademark Office www.uspto.gov/ to ensure there isn't a trade mark that exists on the name you choose.
You must search from iTunes Connect as if you are adding a new app, just searching on Google doesn't show app names that are alreadcoques iphone 4
Search the app store, and search google.
I'd say if the name you want to use doesn't turn up in a search on iTunes, you should be in the clear to grab that name. I assume all app names are subject to approval by Apple, also, so make sure you pick something that's not called "iBabyShake."
Related
I checked the documentation but could not find anywhere regarding assigning ringtone to a group of contacts programmatically. I was wondering is it even possible without using Private API and app store safe ?
My question is the duplicate of this and this but I checked this application, and it does what I was looking for so may be I am overlooking the documentation ?
Any insight on this would be great.
Its not possible to assign contact or group of contact pragmatically for App Store app but you can quietly do for jaibreak app.
Have a look on this.. Is it possible to set the ringtone file(name) for a phone number in a contact using codes?
Old post but still valid In short --
Apple will not allow any Application in app store which modifies user preferences..
Theoretically this is not allowed as per Apple guidelines because you are not allowed to change user preferences through a separate program. That's simply it is. This is specially true for groups since user doesn't have a way to revert the changes done through your program without his permission.
However, the program you have specified here might be using Address Book API methods to retrieve the group they want to change and modifying the ringtone information through a system command by allowing the current user to be root or admin. Just a thought if it can be done.
I am about to publish the name of my App on Kickstarter. I am worried that someone will copy the name and publish an app with the same name before I release mine.
Is there a way to block this? I heard that if I create an App bundle on iTunes Connect prior to release I should be able to block this. From my understanding, starting from the moment in which I create the App in the iTunes connect profile I will have a window of 4 months of time to publish it and, if someone attempts to use the same name, won't be able to do so.
Is my understanding correct? I found this answer and seems that is the case but there is no mention on the 4 months window.
According to http://developer.apple.com/library/ios/#documentation/LanguagesUtilities/Conceptual/iTunesConnect_Guide/8_AddingNewApps/AddingNewApps.html you have 180 days to submit a binary after registering the app name in itunesconnect.
I have personally experienced this: I started work on an app, set it up in iTunes Connect (in order to test Game Center), then had to put it on hold. I started getting warning emails from Apple (that the app entry was about to expire and I'd lose the name) and I chose to put something out in the store, since it wasn't clear what would happen if I simply deleted it from iTunes Connect.
If you're really worried about this, you probably need to find a legal solution, not a technological one. I'm not a lawyer, and this is a site about programming, but I think you should look into trademark law. It is the part of the law that covers names and claiming who has the rights to them. If you follow the law and claim a name, you may be able to get it back from someone who takes it.
You could also NOT reveal the name on Kickstarter, but use a code name instead, and then avoid this problem entirely.
To be perfectly honest, I don't think this will be as much as a problem as you think it will be.
I want to add local languages for the description of my app, and so I made a new version just so I could Localize the description. However, I did not change any of my app to be location-dependent (It's just english, and it's a rather simple resistance-color code calculator app without much text, and operates on the basis of color-codedness.) Will my app be rejected for failing to truly "localize", per se? Is this a stringent guideline or is it okay to just change the app store description language?
I don't know if Apple will reject you on that basis or not. But doing something like that could anger your customers, and I wouldn't blame them. I would suggest that you either localize everything, including the content, or localize nothing. Misleading your customers is not the path to long-term success.
Your app should not be rejected. I've done this. My app is mostly numbers which is universal. I've translated descriptions to 6 languages and the app is in the app store just fine.
Don't mislead your users. Your users are your greatest allies or enemies, depending on your attitude. If you don't respect them, they won't like you.
If you want to make a localization, create a support for multilinguality and you can add languages later on. Also, in my opinion your users should be able to choose the language they want to use your app in. As a default you can choose the language of the region. However, it's rude to localize by location and not letting the users to change their language. If you show respect towards your users you will have greater chance of success.
First I need to mention that I'm not a developper, but I can probably work my way around enough in xcode to fix this little issue.
I submitted an application to the app store (that was developped by someone else who's not available right now), but it was rejected because it's "geolocked", meaning the application can only be accessed if you set your international "Region format" setting to Canada.
I need to know what modification I need to make in order for this app to work on all region formats. Is it a string I need to change or is it hidden in a plist file ? I have the feeling the fix is quite easy to apply.
I’ve never heard of an iPhone app using region formats to prohibit launches. I suspect your developer put this code in either out of naïveté or malice; either way, you’ll need to look for a section of code that inspects the region settings.
I'm not aware of something like "geolocking" of iOS application. The only thing you can do, which is quite close to your question, is to set in which countries is this application available. This can be set in iTunes Connect.
HI,
I am developing an application for an esteemed client in Australia. They have certain copyright issues when it comes to uses outside Australia accessing the content via the app.
Is it possible to have a local and an international version of the app, both available via iTunes Store? The international version will only have permissible content. If not, please advice the best option to deal with this issue.
Thanking you in anticipation
Cheers,
Amit
Yes, you can create two versions of the application with different SKUs. The best way to do this would by by using a wildcard certificate and using a different project identifier in the application's plist file.
Using the administrative panel on iTunes Connect you can then restrict the sale of the SKUs to different territories.
These options become available when you have paid the $99 for a development certificate, and and when you upload your application to iTunes.
As others have noted, it's possible to build two versions and to use the iTunes store to restrict distribution based on the nation where the buyer is located.
However there's another issue to consider. You say that the problem is "accessing the content via the app" outside of Australia. But you're on a platform which is inherently mobile, and may not be located in the same country it was when the user got your app. What happens if someone is in Australia, gets the app legitimately, and then travels to some other country? They're no longer in Australia but they have a copy of the app that assumes they are. Would your client's copyright restrictions still permit them to access content that's supposed to be Australia-only?
If not, your problem is rather different than using app-store restrictions. But it might also mean that you get to have a better solution to the problem that doesn't require multiple versions of the app.
Think about it: the iPhone knows where it is. A 3g phone can get GPS-accurate location info, and the older phones get reasonable approximations anytime they have a phone network connection. That gives you lat/long coordinates.
What then? Since your home area is pretty well defined, it might be simple-- draw a rectangle around Australia on a map, and define "in Australia" as being in that rectangle (being a whole continent comes in handy here). If you want something more precise, feed that lat/long into a reverse-geocoding API (there are many-- Flickr has one, for example) to find out what country you're in.
And voila, you can make the app behave one way in Australia and another way outside of it, and you only need one version of the app to do it.
You can restrict which apps are sold in which country/geographical region. Your Australian app you can restrict to Australia and sell another app worldwide.