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iBooks Author 1.0.1 EULA clarifies sales stance: works can be sold outside of the iBookstore

iBooks Author 1.0.1 EULA clarifies sales stance: works can be sold outside of the iBookstore

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Apple has updated the End Use License Agreement for iBooks Author, allowing authors to sell works created with the app outside of Apple's own outlets — as long as they don't utilized the company's enhanced .ibooks format.

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Gallery Photo: iBooks 2 event hands-on
Gallery Photo: iBooks 2 event hands-on

When Apple released iBooks Author as part of its education event in January, one element of the End User License Agreement raised some eyebrows: namely, it specified that works created with the tool could be offered for sale only through Apple services such as the iBookstore. Today Apple released a 1.0.1 update to the application — whose sole listed change is a revised EULA — that makes the company's intentions a bit clearer. According to the new language, Apple is only requiring products be sold through their channels if the work is finished in the company's .ibooks format — which, as you may expect, only works with iBooks in the first place. Text or PDF files generated with the application aren't placed under any such restrictions, allowing users to layout their book with iBooks Author, and then sell it as they see fit. For-free works, as before, are not restricted in any way whatsoever.

Some had interpreted the previous language — which defined a "Work" as "any book or other work you generate" with the app — as Apple claiming ownership of the words and images within a title itself. The new language makes it clear Apple is referring only to the .ibooks file generated with the application, and should put such fears to rest. We've included some of the language changes below.

iBooks Author 1.0 EULA:

IMPORTANT NOTE:
If you charge a fee for any book or other work you generate using this software (a "Work"), you may only sell or distribute such Work through Apple (e.g., through the iBookstore) and such distribution will be subject to a separate agreement with Apple.

iBooks Author 1.0.1 EULA

IMPORTANT NOTE:
If you want to charge a fee for a work that includes files in the .ibooks format generated using iBooks Author, you may only sell or distribute such work through Apple, and such distribution will be subject to a separate agreement with Apple. This restriction does not apply to the content of such works when distributed in a form that does not include files in the .ibooks format.