Evil Apple’s evil EULA is evil

Apple’s current shitstorm, and I can’t think of a better word, centres around their highly restrictive EULA for iBooks Author. Rather than rehash what everyone else has said, I’ll link to Nameless Horror’s post and move on to my central point.

Apple’s EULA serves one purpose and it’s one that pretty much everyone else is overlooking. With a $14.99 cap and a ban on selling your interactive books anywhere else, Apple have comprehensively killed the $300 text book dead. The price gouging that text book publishers are renowned for is dead if Apple’s new interactive format takes off.

If Apple are evil with this EULA, it’s towards traditional publishers who, when faced with guaranteed sales, have no qualms charging stupid money to a captive audience. That kind of evil I can live with.