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Nipz

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Nov 1, 2006
1,434
0
UK
I was wondering if it would be possible for someone to download an app (say something like NetShare) and then send other iPhone users the app file to put on their iPhone?

Thanks

Ben
 

arn

macrumors god
Staff member
Apr 9, 2001
16,395
5,836
not unless the two phones have access to the same iTunes account and password. Which means two people use the same credit card.

Otherwise, no. Apps are DRM'd and tied to your iTunes account.

arn
 

CommanderData

macrumors 6502
Dec 1, 2007
250
3
I know you referred to NetShare which is technically unavailable at the moment, but you're still asking about theft/piracy in general... Don't go down that road... Just pay for your applications, and wait for the ones you want to become available again.
 

TimothyB

macrumors 6502a
Jun 20, 2008
795
91
Bay Area
Don't you see something a little wrong with what you are proposing?

And other threads have said the files downloaded are associated with a certain iTunes account, so they can't be backed-up and given to someone else for their iTunes. Unless you friend always wants to say sync their apps with your iTunes or you give them your same password and account.
 

Nipz

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Nov 1, 2006
1,434
0
UK
Im happy to pay for every app! dont get me wrong...

I was just meaning for apps like NetShare that is not longer available if it would be possible.
 

DipDog3

macrumors 65816
Sep 20, 2002
1,193
814
Im happy to pay for every app! dont get me wrong...

I was just meaning for apps like NetShare that is not longer available if it would be possible.

Just cause they don't sell it anymore doesn't make it any less illegal.
 

Nipz

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Nov 1, 2006
1,434
0
UK
Ok i think this is being taken out of context. All i wanted to know if it was possible. Arn answered my question and thats all i needed to know.

I know its illegal and for that reason i wouldnt do it, but i was just curious to see if it was possible...
 

lindsayanng

macrumors 68000
May 4, 2008
1,515
1
East Haven, CT
here's another question - just out of curiousity.
I guess i dont ENTIRELY understand how this all works with purchasing apps on the iphone vs. itunes.. But since you CAN purchase them fromy our phone and put them onto your itunes account, does that mean that you could "temporarily" sync your phone to a friend's cpu, get the apps you wanted, and when you try to sync back up to your own cpu, wold the app be downloaded to your apps in that cpu like as if you purchased it from your phone?? or because it is now a newly synced device, it will erase all old stuff and just upload what is on itunes??

I'm not trying to steal anything here, just curious. I am entirely against piracy, i woudl just think a hole like that would be a BIG issue for lots of developers..
 

DreamPod

macrumors 65816
Mar 15, 2008
1,265
188
Your phone gets tied to your iTunes store account when you set it up for use. The only way you could use someone else's apps would be to Restore your phone using someone else's iTunes account - which of course would erase all of your data from the phone. So no, you can't illegally pirate apps that way.
 

lindsayanng

macrumors 68000
May 4, 2008
1,515
1
East Haven, CT
ok. thats what i thought.. i had never really thought too much about it (i dont know anyone ele with iphones anyways) but after reading this thread, it just popped into my head as a possible way to get around it..

clearly apple has thought of it.
 

johata3

macrumors regular
Jul 12, 2008
118
0
so there is really no other way of sharing apps with friends who have iphones? i mean, one of us has to restore back to factory settings and lose all the data (txt, e-mails, etc...) and use the same credit card? you can't just get the apps from the friend's iTunes account and then switch back to your iTunes account?

it's kind of unfortunate that Apple removed great apps like Netshare and Box Office from the app store and possibly never put it up again. :(
 

mcdj

macrumors G3
Jul 10, 2007
8,970
4,225
NYC
You can share apps just like you share music, with up to 5 computers, as Arn mentioned, if the user has your password, like my girlfriend does. I let her check out an app I bought the other day.
 
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