Apple backs off on iPhone NDA

Stephen Withers
Thursday, 02 October 2008 06:05

Business IT - Technology

Apple has eased its contentious non-disclosure agreement (NDA) that prevented developers and others from sharing information about the current version of the iPhone software.

Tech companies routinely use NDAs to maintain general secrecy while providing business partners such as software developers and accessory manufacturers to have supporting products ready on a timely basis.

Without NDAs, you'd probably have waited months for a case for the new iPhone or iPod you rushed out and bought as soon as it hit the shops. or weeks for updates to even the simplest applications that were broken by a new system software release.

Journalists - especially those working for long leadtime publications such as monthly magazines - are often briefed under NDA to help level the playing field with web sites and other fast-turnaround outlets.

Although almost every other NDA lapses as soon as the product is announced or becomes public knowledge. Apple chose to try to keep details of the iPhone software under wraps indefinitely.

Apple has been criticised for being excessively secretive about the iPhone software, making it difficult for developers to share information and impossible for publishers to release books on iPhone development.

"We put the NDA in place because the iPhone OS includes many Apple inventions and innovations that we would like to protect, so that others don’t steal our work," Apple officials wrote in an open letter to developers published on the company's web site."

See what else Apple had to say - and what I think it meant - on page two.