BeamItDown Software, which developed iFlow Reader, an app for reading an purchasing eBooks with iOS has announced that it will cease its activities on the AppStore after May 31st.
The company announced that it was forced to do so because of the App Store rules; because Apple takes 30% of its revenues, and because Apple forces them to sell the content through the AppStore as well. Here is part of their press release:
BeamItDown Software and the iFlow Reader will cease operations [on the AppStore] as of May 31, 2011. We absolutely do not want to do this, but Apple has made it completely impossible for anyone but Apple to make a profit selling contemporary ebooks on any iOS device. We cannot survive selling books at a loss and so we are forced to go out of business. We bet everything on Apple and iOS and then Apple killed us by changing the rules in the middle of the game. This is a very sad day for innovation on iOS in this important application category. We are a small company that thought we could build a better product. We think that we did but we are powerless against Apple’s absolute control of the iOS platform.
The company his severe on Apple and it could lead other editors to think also about their business on the AppStore if they are only reselling content that they buy elsewhere. It will also serve the ones who think that Apple is going too far with the iOS and AppStore rules:
