The popular comics and manga app Comixology was updated this week with multiple new features and a major change in functionality as it merged into Amazon’s platform. Users of the app, which was acquired by Amazon in 2014, don’t seem to have liked the update.
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via paperblog.com
Comixology CEO Dan Steinberge addressed the company’s customers today clarifying that Apple was not responsible for withholding its comic Saga #12 from the Comixology iOS app.
In the last 24 hours there has been a lot of chatter about Apple banning Saga #12 from our Comics App on the Apple App Store due to depictions of gay sex. This is simply not true, and we’d like to clarify.
As a partner of Apple, we have an obligation to respect its policies for apps and the books offered in apps. Based on our understanding of those policies, we believed that Saga #12 could not be made available in our app, and so we did not release it today.
In the last 24 hours there has been a lot of chatter about Apple banning Saga #12 from our Comics App on the Apple App Store due to depictions of gay sex. This is simply not true, and we’d like to clarify.
As a partner of Apple, we have an obligation to respect its policies for apps and the books offered in apps. Based on our understanding of those policies, we believed that Saga #12 could not be made available in our app, and so we did not release it today.
We did not interpret the content in question as involving any particular sexual orientation, and frankly that would have been a completely irrelevant consideration under any circumstance.
Given this, it should be clear that Apple did not reject Saga #12.
Steinberger went on to say that its decision to not publish Saga #12 was based on a more conservative interpretation of Apple’s guidelines.
After hearing from Apple this morning, we can say that our interpretation of its policies was mistaken. You’ll be glad to know that Saga #12 will be available on our App Store app soon.
Comixology’s apology wraps up what became a public contention against Apple and it’s App Store policies.
Anyone want to still blame Apple for the "chilling effect?" http://t.co/tfyEQyF0jh
— John Siracusa (@siracusa) April 10, 2013
For the record, I think there is a chilling effect, but only within the context of Apple's own store. That may or may not be bad for Apple.
— John Siracusa (@siracusa) April 10, 2013
