Last week Apple updated its bookstore and reading app, iBooks. Among the changes is the ability to detect jailbroken iPhones.
[ad#Google Adsense 300×250 in story]According to a post on MacRumors on Tuesday, users of jailbroken iPhones that installed iBooks 1.2.1 are met with the following message when they try to open content purchased from iBooks: “There is a problem with the configuration of your iPhone. Please restore with iTunes and reinstall iBooks.”
Of course, reinstalling iBooks won’t do any good because the phone itself is jailbroken. However, the app will work properly if the iPhone is restored using iTunes, which brings the phone back into compliance with Apple’s policies.
iPhones that have not been jailbroken apparently do not have the problem.
Works just fine for me… Although I’m using a tethered jailbreak for my iPhone 4.
Works fine for me – 3GS on 4.0.1
I have to say that I welcome this kind of implementation.
Forgive me if I’m oversimplifying matters in this case, but often a jailbreak is performed to use bootlegged software and DRM’d content.
I’d welcome it if application developers would build similar detection routines into their apps.
I have no sympathy for people who crack and distribute applications that by themselves only cost $0.99 upward.
Ummm… Not all of us who jailbreak are thieves…
I know. That’s why I stated that I was oversimplifying this matter.
I had jailbroken my 3GS a while ago because I wanted to try Winterboard and SBsettings.
In the end these two features didn’t justify the hassle.
I’m very much aware that there are legitimate reasons for jailbreaking — like system-wide VGA-out — but from what I have read over the past two years, jailbreaks are often performed specifically to use software without paying for it.
Never Mrgan’s experiences are quite an interesting read on this matter.
Maybe my reaction was a bit too harsh, but if the number of bootleg-installs continues to increase, I believe Apple and app developers will have to do something to protect their assets.
I think you’re taking this a bit too seriously mango…and remember Congress recently approved of jailbreaking..it’s not stealing per se..it’s adding new cool features to the devices that Apple for some reason doesn’t want us to have access to. Once we buy it..isn’t up to us to do with as we see fit?
You’ve misunderstood my comment. I have nothing in particular against the jailbreak itself, I just disapprove of application piracy enabled by the jailbreak. Take a peak at hackint0sh.org and you’re going to see what most people are interested in: Getting paid apps for free.