Comments on: Apple bans a comic book, firestorm ensues

By: Dan, Philadelphia PA

Dan, Philadelphia PA — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 13:18:22 +0000

Apple also censors music videos marked "explicit", sometimes in very odd ways. Sometimes they censor the sex and leave the violence and sometimes visa-versa. Sometimes they obscure the word “stoned” while leaving the F-word in the same video.

I would like to see Apple allow their users or their users parents decide what is appropriate. What the iTunes store needs is parental controls (that the adult users can bypass).

By: cynik, zurich, switzerland

cynik, zurich, switzerland — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 20:21:06 +0000

"Can I force Fortune Magazine to publish my trash?"

Indeed you can.

You can buy the organisation and appoint the editor. Ask Rupert Murdoch is this seems far fetched. One ought not let the visions of little men constrain our world, and all that.

One thing you cannot buy, directly, is government.

Theoretically. In practice, of course, government is for sale to the highest bidder. We love it, and call it democracy.

This probably isn't the place, but the laws governing information in the public domain are going to be the political battleground of the future, and the ideas offered by journalists must evolve.

Copyright is a law against sharing information, and insofar as that truth is forgotten and corporations continue to control media and technology continues to allow further and more detailed control, ordinary people are going to come face to face with an ugly truth: property rights of corporations have more standing at law than the human right to exchange information in the public domain.

It is the axiomatic flaw in capitalist democracy, and why anarco-syndicalism is the only way forward for thinking folks.

Now eat your lentils.

By: Bud - Denver, CO

Bud - Denver, CO — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 06:28:21 +0000

It's not censorship because they have every right to distribute their comic in any number of other places including their own website or store. If they want to sell the app, separate the content and let them obtain it from another venue. This is not a difficult concept. No one should be able to force you to sell anything as a business. If they did, wouldn't that be overreaching and trampling on the business owner's rights?

By: D, Dallas, TX

D, Dallas, TX — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:25:47 +0000

So don't buy Apple products. They're stylish, but horribly overpriced and far from perfect. They're largely status symbols. You can find other tools accomplish what you need.

By: deetz, sf, ca

deetz, sf, ca — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 16:56:10 +0000

All this is going to do is increase the use of jailbreak apps out there, and eventually apple will lose complete ability to make profit on the distribution of apps. This opens the same can of works as an ISP trying to throttle certain content. For all the fanboys out there defending apple's move, how is this any different than comcast limiting your bittorent traffic, which you are all up in arms about? Comcast could claim they do not intend to distribute that content to you and that it is a violation of the use of their network. At the end of the day, the consumer has rights as well for use of the device that they purchased, even if it is outside of the limited imagination of the initial intended use of the owner of the distribution network.

By: D

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 15:08:20 +0000

People who are saying that Apple is censoring what they sell or offer, need to go buy a book on basic business practice. While I dislike some of Apple's products because they are bug-filled, Apple is not censoring anything. It is their right as a business to determine what they can or cannot sell. So all those that are preaching the whole "Apple is censoring this and that", go buy a book and grow a brain.

By: Patrick, Boston, MA

Patrick, Boston, MA — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 14:56:53 +0000

First, this is absolutely censorship. Geoffrey is just plain incorrect when he says that only a government can censor. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship)

Second, censorship is often warranted, and Apple has a right to do it. Craig is correct to point out that you can't demand businesses sell pornography.

But it's a fine line. Apple doesn't have to sell porn, but what if a racist was in charge of the company. Could they refuse to sell content created by black people? Things get murky where Apple's rights and responsibilities collide.

What is BAD about censorship is this:

It's a lot of work to make content. If Apple censors content, creators have to be very careful. They need to SELF-CENSOR before even creating content, to minimize the risk that they will be unable to sell their product. So they start to stay even away from the grey areas. They are afraid to explore.

Does Apple want to be creating that force in the market? Every time they use their power to censor, they do.

By: Craig LR, AR

Craig LR, AR — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 10:09:29 +0000

Wow… to all you people about free speech and censorship… I want to be able to go to my local walmart and purchase a playboy or penthouse. Why is this not possible? because the store chooses not to sell it. So to all of you "simpson's comic book guy" out there, get over it!

By: Warren, Los Altos Hills, California

Warren, Los Altos Hills, California — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 03:09:50 +0000

Though I personally am not a supporter of violent, inappropriate content, Apple's lack of dedication to freedom of the press, fair play, and not censoring content is the final nail in apple's coffin. Their lousy, broken products, useless customer service, lack of quality and style, and dedication to closed doors and DRM means that this teen, and many others, will never support Apple.

By: Geoffrey A. Landis, Berea, OH

Geoffrey A. Landis, Berea, OH — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 21:02:13 +0000

I have to remind people again of the definition of censorship, which is when the governmental authorities forbid something from being published. It's not censorship to refuse to sell a product, for any reason or for no reason. There's no law that Apple is forced to sell this comic or anything else– they can sell what they want. It's not censorship unless Infurious is not allowed to sell it themselves.