Apple is aiming to stop the sale of a new insider book called "App Store Confidential," written by former Apple employee Tom Sadowski who ran Apple's App Store business in Germany until November 2019.

After the book was published yesterday in Germany, Apple sent a cease and desist letter to both Sadowski and publisher Murmann Verlag, reports German news site Focus (via iMore).

appstoreconfidential
Apple claims that the book reveals "business secrets" that are of "considerable economic value," but Sadowski denies the inclusion of proprietary information. Apple also says that Sadowski has violated his employment agreement.

Apple has demanded that Sadowski and his publisher stop selling the book, recall all copies in circulation, and destroy the manuscripts, which Sadowski does not plan to do.

In a statement, Apple said that it has "long supported a free press and supports authors of all kinds" but Sadowski violated employee agreements that should be "applied equally and fairly to all employees."

The book is available only in German and according to one site that read the book, EN24, Apple's allegations are "not entirely understandable" because the author "mostly reveals only the obvious." It's described as "just banal" and more of a field report than an in-depth business analysis, but Apple is notoriously secret so it's no surprise that it wants the book banned either way.

Top Rated Comments

adamjackson Avatar
68 months ago
...well that's one way you guarantee the book sells well versus just ignoring it.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
makitango Avatar
68 months ago
Back to burning books now, are we? What a time to live in.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BMcCoy Avatar
68 months ago
Has Apple not heard of the Streisand Effect?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
roar08 Avatar
68 months ago
Installing Duolingo...
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Villarrealadrian Avatar
68 months ago
Seeding on piratebay...
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jakebrosy Avatar
68 months ago
So...it's in German. And I don't read German. But I just ordered a paperback version. Spent $23+ on a book I'll never read.

There is no better way to sell a book than to ban it. The author should thank Apple (and the media) for making App Store Confidential #2 in German-language books.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
ipad air windows 11 arm

M2 iPad Air Runs Windows 11 ARM via Emulation, Thanks to EU Rules

Tuesday April 22, 2025 5:01 am PDT by
A developer has demonstrated Windows 11 ARM running on an M2 iPad Air using emulation, which has become much easier since the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations came into effect. As spotted by Windows Latest, NTDev shared an instance of the emulation on social media and posted a video on YouTube (embedded below) demonstrating it in action. The achievement relies on new EU regulatory...
iOS 18

iOS 18.5 Includes Only a Few Changes So Far

Monday April 21, 2025 11:00 am PDT by
Apple seeded the third beta of iOS 18.5 to developers today, and so far the software update includes only a few minor changes. The changes are in the Mail and Settings apps. In the Mail app, you can now easily turn off contact photos directly within the app, by tapping on the circle with three dots in the top-right corner. In the Settings app, AppleCare+ coverage information is more...
maxresdefault

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:52 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and ...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Triad

Apple's 20th Anniversary iPhone May Finally Go All Screen

Tuesday April 15, 2025 6:31 am PDT by
Apple is preparing a "bold" new iPhone Pro model for the iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. As part of what's being described as a "major shake-up," Apple is said to be developing a design that makes more extensive use of glass – and this could point directly to the display itself. Here's the case for Apple releasing a truly all-screen iPhone with no...
iphone 17 air dummy unbox therapy

iPhone 17 Air's Extreme Thinness Demoed in New Video

Tuesday April 22, 2025 10:22 am PDT by
Apple plans to release an all-new super thin iPhone this year, debuting it alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. We've seen pictures of dummy models, cases, and renders with the design, but Lewis Hilsenteger of Unbox Therapy today showed off newer dummy models that give us a better idea of just how thin the "iPhone 17 Air" will be. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be ...
CarPlay Hero

Apple Releases Wireless CarPlay Fix

Wednesday April 16, 2025 11:28 am PDT by
If you have been experiencing issues with wireless CarPlay in your vehicle lately, it was likely due to a software bug that has now been fixed. Apple released iOS 18.4.1 today, and the update's release notes say it "addresses a rare issue that prevents wireless CarPlay connection in certain vehicles." If wireless CarPlay was acting up for you, updating your iPhone to iOS 18.4.1 should...