Late last year, Apple erased the iGBA emulator from their App Store. This action has initiated a discussion amongst gamers. Leaving details out, it can be briefly summarized that the tech giant based its decision on the violation of its App Review Guidelines concerning copyright law (section 5.2) and spam (section 4.3).
Arising from the release of the GBA emulator, it went fast to occupy the top positions on the App Store rankings. Nevertheless, the app got a bad reputation as it was cloning its earlier version of IGBA4iOS, an open-source alternative that had long been available outside of Apple’s domain. Social media users were very quick to call iGBA out for their huge stock presence and speculation of user tracking.
Testut shared with iGBA his concern about iGBA’s unauthorized reprinting of his novel Threads. He also disparaged Apple’s App Review procedure and called the emulator a “shameless reproduction” that did not belong in the authentic App Store.
Apple’s claim of copyright infringement most likely refers to iGBA’s underhanded way of running the GBA4iOS software code and features. Besides, iGBA permitted users to play Gameboy games via the ROMs they downloaded while the legality of such depends on the game’s specific copyright. It is yet to be determined who will play Nintendo, the game company behind the Game Boy, and known characters such as Pokémon and Zelda to make this decision.
The creators of the apps can only feature content that is by themselves or has proper licensing as Apple’s App Review Guidelines state. This provision seeks to shield developers from their rights being pirated as well as users from confusing the features. Nevertheless, it appears that GBA has just been blocked without explaining why and despite the fact Apple has recently reversed its decision in favor of “retro game console emulators.”
Some people can not tell precisely where Apple stands when it comes to Retro gaming emulators following the removal of iGBA from the App Store. This event points to an ultra-strict attitude, although the policy reform that took place in recent times suggested a liberal position. Testut’s emulation project continues at the moment. It can be accessed by another store besides the App Store via its marketplace – AltStore ( applicable for iPhones in EU countries).
This event raised several debates in the mobile app world on the topic of intellectual property rights, emulation technology, and accessibility for users to older versions of the game. We will be tracking any updates about the decision of Apple to remove iGBA or how its attitude toward retro game emulators evolves as events unfold.
