Apple Inc. has updated the End User Licensing Agreement (EULA) for its iBooks Author app. They have clarified the terms and ownership conditions. This helped many breathe normally. With the release of the EULA for iBooks Author, copyright analysts shook Apple users with a number of details. It was noted that the original wording stated that authors would only be able to sell books created in iBooks Author in Apple’s iBookstore.
Broadly, it was assumed that Apple was claiming ownership of the content generated in iBooks Author.
But with the 1.0.1 update [Mac App Store link], the language in the EULA is now much more clear on what Apple’s actual policies.
Here is an extract of the old agreement:
B. Distribution of your Work. As a condition of this License and provided you are in compliance with its terms, your Work may be distributed as follows: if your Work is provided for free (at no charge), you may distribute the Work by any available means.
(ii) if your Work is provided for a fee (including as part of any subscription-based product or service), you may only distribute the Work through Apple and such distribution is subject to the following limitations and conditions:
(a) you will be required to enter into a separate written agreement with Apple (or an Apple affiliate or subsidiary) before any commercial distribution of your Work may take place; and (b) Apple may determine for any reason and in its sole discretion not to select your Work for distribution.
And the edited new agreement:
B. Distribution of Works Generated Using the iBooks Author Software. As a condition of this License and provided you are in compliance with its terms, works generated using iBooks Author may be distributed as follows:
(i) if the work is provided for free (at no charge), you may distribute it by any means;
(ii) if the work is provided for a fee (including as part of any subscription-based product or service) and includes files in the .ibooks format generated using iBooks Author, the work may only be distributed through Apple, and such distribution will be subject to a separate written agreement with Apple (or an Apple affiliate or subsidiary); provided, however, that this restriction will not apply to the content of the work when distributed in a form that does not include files in the .ibooks format generated using iBooks Author. You retain all your rights in the content of your works, and you may distribute such content by any means when it does not include files in the .ibooks format generated by iBooks Author.
This new agreement indicates clearly that the tech giant, Apple, will claim only sales exclusivity for the .ibooks format.
So, if a user intends to tap iBooks Author to create a PDF version of an eBook, this specific PDF can be sold in any online bookstore, not just iBooks. The .ibooks formatted books will only be in the iBookstore.
Apple stressed noting that “you retain all your rights in the content of your works.”