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German jugs pulled from iPhone

Today bared breasts, tomorrow the world

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The Federation of German Publishers is up in arms about Apple's new kiddie-friendly policy, as companies struggle to understand if their brands are big enough for porn.

Apple's latest policy on iTunes applications is that titillation isn't allowed, unless your brand is "a well-known company with previously published material", in which case it's OK. That's got the Germans riled as they try to work out which of their brands will be permitted to show naked flesh.

Bild, one of Europe's best-selling papers, isn't taking any chances and has stuck a bikini on it's "Shake the Bild Girl" application, the AFP reports, probably resulting in some broken iPhones as frustrated users continue to shake the poor lass in the hope of shifting her bikini.

"We consider Apple's behaviour to be unfair, arbitrary, bad for business and dangerous for freedom of the press" said the German Federation (known as VDZ). "Today it is bare breasts, tomorrow it might be something else."

And that's the root of the problem: Apple has decided to exert control over content in the iTunes store, but is doing so in such an oblique way as to make planning impossible:

"If Apple had previously given clear rules and said, 'naked flesh is contrary to our ethical principles', that would be understandable terms," said the VDZ in a statement. It's the uncertainty, and inequality that's got the publishers upset.

FHM can continue to put naked ladies into its application, and so can Playboy, but applications from less-well-known brands have vanished.

The VDZ will be making representation to the 'International Federation of the Periodical Press' at its Digital Innovators Summit next week, in the hope of putting some pressure on Apple to relax the rules, or at least to explain what those rules are. ®

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I'll take your flame bait

You need to take a good hard look at yourself, before calling others names - we're not talking hard core pron here it's just a little bit of tits and ass (maybe the odd pussy too?). There is nothing 'bad' or 'evil' about naked humans. This is censorship in its most crude form and should be resisted at all costs.

IMHO if there was more nakedness, and a LOT less violence, in the mainstream media/entertainment industry then a lot less people (like you) would have hangups about it and the world be a better place.

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Apple...

= evil

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Not the issue

Consistent enforcement of rules is. If it's OK for Playboy to show flesh, it's OK for everyone. If it's not OK for Joe Blow, it's not OK for Playboy. Should be quite simple to understand but His Steveness obviously has another agenda. Like letting his friends make dough because then they'll still be his friends or something.

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