Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) with the introduction of its profit-revenue-sharing app centre for its devices opened up a whole new world to the developer community.
Apple Inc’s move came at a time, when the likes of Microsoft or Oracle, hired in-house developers to push out products or applications for their clients.
However, Apple Inc’s iTunes and App Store culture single-handedly revolutionized the whole Application or Apps eco-system. First it chose to share a part of the profits and linked it directly to the life-term consumption of the app. The end result was a win-win situation for developers, for consumers and Apple itself.
But the recent political phase of uncertainty in Eastern Europe, has cast its shadow on the undisturbed technology world of the region!
Apple Inc, has had to move under pressure, as US government imposed sanctions against developers based out of Crimea.
In the past week, developers registered in Crimea have sadly been issued termination notices, in-line with US orders that object to Russian occupation of Crimea in early months of 2014.
The impact of this development is that the developers of the region can neither create apps, neither can they develop them for Apple’s App Store.
And Apple’s move does not appear to be isolated. Apparently, Valve the popular gaming distribution platform has forbidden Crimea based user access, via Steam.
Additionally, developers in the region have to immediately stop using the software as well as the related Apple Software, besides having to destroy ‘related materials.’
Apple Inc. has stopped access to its developer portal, under the ITS Sole Discretion part of the RAD agreement. This is effective following the latest Dec 19, 2014 announcement by the US Governments as well as the European commission forbidding the RAD agreement between Apple Inc and those developers registered as Apple Developer A.
While Apple Inc has always varied its policies in line with economic changes, such as the recent closure of its store in December because of the devaluation of the Russian currency.
