[2014-02-06] IBT: Is Bitcoin Legal or Not? Take it from Apple and Malwarebytes

[bryant.coleman]

http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/537746/20140207/bitcoin-apple-malwarebytes.htm#.UvR6qvmSwZ4

Apple Inc. (AAPL) removed popular Bitcoin programme Blockchain from its App Store, Bloomberg reports. Blockchain is an application for iPhones which is use to send and receive Bitcoins. Users view their Bitcoin balance online in online wallets through Blockchain.

Confusing... since when did Apple became so powerful inorder to determine the legality of BTC?

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[fluidjax]

I call for government regulations of these private market places.
It is not right that corporations through the use of terms and conditions (and contract law) can circumvent peoples constitutional and human rights.

We need governments acting on behalf of the people to ensure that these so called 'walled gardens' do not become areas where private and undemocratic laws can flourish. Corporations must not be allowed to become more powerful than the people.

We do not need regulation to hinder the growth of these market places, we need regulation to ensure that everyone is treated fairly.

[smith88]

I call for government regulations of these private market places.
It is not right that corporations through the use of terms and conditions (and contract law) can circumvent peoples constitutional and human rights.

We need governments acting on behalf of the people to ensure that these so called 'walled gardens' do not become areas where private and undemocratic laws can flourish. Corporations must not be allowed to become more powerful than the people.

We do not need regulation to hinder the growth of these market places, we need regulation to ensure that everyone is treated fairly.

completely agree.

[bryant.coleman]

I call for government regulations of these private market places.

Government regulations can be good in most instances.

[murraypaul]

It is not right that corporations through the use of terms and conditions (and contract law) can circumvent peoples constitutional and human rights.

Really? You have a constitutional right to have an app available in Apple's store?
Which amendment was that?

[Lethn]

You can't regulate mathematics.

[teukon]

I call for government regulations of these private market places.
It is not right that corporations through the use of terms and conditions (and contract law) can circumvent peoples constitutional and human rights.

We need governments acting on behalf of the people to ensure that these so called 'walled gardens' do not become areas where private and undemocratic laws can flourish. Corporations must not be allowed to become more powerful than the people.

We do not need regulation to hinder the growth of these market places, we need regulation to ensure that everyone is treated fairly.

I couldn't disagree more!

Apple is not circumventing people's rights.  Apple is not forcing people into its walled garden through a threat of violence.  People enter into these agreements because they perceive themselves to be better off for it.  I don't see much fairness in the rest of society telling them that they're wrong and forcibly removing this option from them.

[bitcool]

Android users not affected.

Evil gloating 

[kwest]

I wonder if this would be legal in Sweden. We have more strict competition laws than the US.. if a company does anything that hinders another to compete fairly, they're gonna have a bad time. Many company mergers happening in the US, creating these "too big to fail" behemoths, would be impossible here.

Bitcoin itself may not be a company, but companies that depend on the bitcoin technology to remain in business are affected by this.

[MashRinx]

Apple created their first walled garden with their PCs 30 years ago, did very well initially, and eventually lost significant market share as other companies caught up and allowed for openness and innovation that drove growth and additional adoption.  The same thing happened in the mobile device space and I believe history will repeat itself. 

With this move, Apple didn't decide the 'legality' of anything.  They have been tolerant at best to anything Bitcoin in the past, and that tolerance seems to have morphed into open hostility more recently, whatever their reasons.

We don't need government regulations.  The market will decide.

[Bitcopia]

You can't regulate mathematics.

I agree. However, this is like saying one can't regulate iron. Which is true, but one can, unfortunately, regulate the applications of iron. The question is whether or not the people choose to accept such regulations.

[Lethn]

I don't entirely agree, they can certainly try to regulate anything, but being successful is another matter entirely and you have regulations in government where they don't even know what their goal is and whether they've been successful in the first place. The 'war' on drugs and other morality based bollocks is a classic example of what I'm thinking of and then you have the catholic church trying to go after scientific thinkers etc.

[VforVictory]

Seriously, can this crap about Apple removing stuff from the app store die already? It was garbage anyhow.

[Gabi]

Oh so now apple is a government and can make laws and can decide what is legal and is illegal, what is lawful and what is unlawful?

Wow guys, we are getting quickly in a cyberpunk setting where megacorporations rule the world, aren't we? And i mean, really quickly, like, today! 

Soon we will have megacorporations wars, mercenaries, spies, it will be like Deus Ex!!! 

[Carlton Banks]

The irony of Apple in the 21st century is surely that they produced OSX from open source software with liberal licensing, then went on to make the most restrictive platform with it. Just ditch Apple, these days I'm quite proud that I could never afford to give them my money. Who wants software that's expensive and tells you what to do? It's not even that bug free any more.

[Tranquility140]

People are posting vids of them destroying their iPhones because of this.

[teukon]

The irony of Apple in the 21st century is surely that they produced OSX from open source software with liberal licensing, then went on to make the most restrictive platform with it.

Here's another stalwart contender for "The irony of Apple" (in case you missed it):

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=451400.0

[DeathAndTaxes]

I call for government regulations of these private market places.
It is not right that corporations through the use of terms and conditions (and contract law) can circumvent peoples constitutional and human rights.

We need governments acting on behalf of the people to ensure that these so called 'walled gardens' do not become areas where private and undemocratic laws can flourish. Corporations must not be allowed to become more powerful than the people.

We do not need regulation to hinder the growth of these market places, we need regulation to ensure that everyone is treated fairly.

You have no constitutional right to set the terms of Apple's walled garden anymore than you have a "freedom of speech" to stand naked in my living room and scream obscenities in my face at two in the morning.

So how about .... if you don't like the rules in Apple's private property you don't use it.  Problem solved and without the implicit threat of violence by the state against its citizens.

If enough people do the same thing, it will hurt Apple's bottom line and Apple's shareholders will get pissed at Apple's management and demand changes.  Possibly leading to a more open Apple or at a minimum a smaller weaker Apple.  See all that without the need for you to use (indirect) violence to force others to do what you want them to.

[bryant.coleman]

The irony of Apple in the 21st century is surely that they produced OSX from open source software with liberal licensing, then went on to make the most restrictive platform with it.

Here's another stalwart contender for "The irony of Apple" (in case you missed it):

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=451400.0

Apple is surviving just because of the biased US court judgments. Else Samsung would have sweeped the floor with them.

[freet0pian]

I call for government regulations of these private market places.
It is not right that corporations through the use of terms and conditions (and contract law) can circumvent peoples constitutional and human rights.

We need governments acting on behalf of the people to ensure that these so called 'walled gardens' do not become areas where private and undemocratic laws can flourish. Corporations must not be allowed to become more powerful than the people.

We do not need regulation to hinder the growth of these market places, we need regulation to ensure that everyone is treated fairly.

You have no constitutional right to set the terms of Apple's walled garden anymore than you have a "freedom of speech" to stand naked in my living room and scream obscenities in my face at two in the morning.

So how about .... you don't like the rules in Apple's private property you don't use it.  Problem solved.  If enough people agree with you it will hurt Apple's bottom line and Apple's shareholders will get pissed at Apple's management and demand changes.  See all that without the need for you to use (indirect) violence to force others to do what you want them to.

+1984

These statists beg for more government and one day, if they're smart enough, they'll realize how govs don't bring much good to the table. And the little that is for good is offset multiple times by the means that are used to fund it. Free communities do good, not forced ones.