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
64 months ago
...well that's one way you guarantee the book sells well versus just ignoring it.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
makitango Avatar
64 months ago
Back to burning books now, are we? What a time to live in.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BMcCoy Avatar
64 months ago
Has Apple not heard of the Streisand Effect?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
roar08 Avatar
64 months ago
Installing Duolingo...
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Villarrealadrian Avatar
64 months ago
Seeding on piratebay...
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jakebrosy Avatar
64 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

Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock Light

iOS 19 Leak Reveals All-New Design

Friday January 17, 2025 2:42 pm PST by
iOS 19 is still around six months away from being announced, but a new leak has allegedly revealed a completely redesigned Camera app. Based on footage it obtained, YouTube channel Front Page Tech shared a video showing what the new Camera app will apparently look like, with the key change being translucent menus for camera controls. Overall, the design of these menus looks similar to...
2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Changes Trade-In Values for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and More

Thursday January 16, 2025 6:45 am PST by
Apple today adjusted estimated trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models in the U.S., according to its website. Some values increased, while others decreased. The changes were not too significant, with most values rising or dropping by $5 to $50. We have outlined some examples below: Device New Value Old Value iPhone 15 Pro Max Up to $630 U ...
2024 App Store Awards

Apple Explains Why It Removed TikTok From the App Store in the U.S.

Sunday January 19, 2025 6:58 am PST by
Apple on late Saturday removed TikTok from the App Store in the U.S., and it has now explained why it was required to take this action. Last year, the U.S. passed a law that required Chinese company ByteDance to divest its ownership of TikTok due to potential national security risks, or else the platform would be banned. That law went into effect today, and companies like Apple and Google...
Generic iOS 18

Everything New in iOS 18.3 Beta 3

Thursday January 16, 2025 12:39 pm PST by
Apple provided the third beta of iOS 18.3 to developers today, and while the betas have so far been light on new features, the third beta makes some major changes to Notification Summaries and also tweaks a few other features. Notification Summary Changes Apple made multiple changes to Notification Summaries in response to complaints about inaccurate summaries of news headlines. For...
iOS 19 Roundup Feature

iOS 19 Rumored to Be Compatible With These iPhones

Saturday January 18, 2025 10:28 am PST by
iOS 19 will not drop support for any iPhone models, according to French website iPhoneSoft.fr. The report cited a source who said iOS 19 will be compatible with any iPhone that can run iOS 18, which would mean the following models: iPhone 16 iPhone 16 Plus iPhone 16 Pro iPhone 16 Pro Max iPhone 15 iPhone 15 Plus iPhone 15 Pro iPhone 15 Pro Max iPhone 14 iPhon...
iPad Pro vs iPhone 17 Air Feature

Here's How Thin the iPhone 17 Air Might Be

Friday January 17, 2025 3:38 pm PST by
For the last several months, we've been hearing rumors about a redesigned version of the iPhone 17 that Apple might call the iPhone 17 "Air," or something along those lines. It's going to replace the iPhone 17 Plus as Apple's fourth iPhone option, and it will be offered alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. We know the iPhone 17 Air is going to be super slim, but...
airtag 4 pack blue

AirTag 2 Launching This Year With These 3 New Features

Sunday January 19, 2025 8:11 am PST by
After a four-year wait, a new AirTag is finally expected to launch in 2025. Below, we recap rumored upgrades for the accessory. A few months ago, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple was aiming to release the AirTag 2 around the middle of 2025. While he did not offer a more specific timeframe, that means the AirTag 2 could be announced by the end of June. The original AirTag was announced...
apple power beats pro 2

Powerbeats Pro 2 Coming Soon: Apple to Announce Them 'Imminently'

Sunday January 19, 2025 8:25 am PST by
In September, Apple said that it would be launching Powerbeats Pro 2 in 2025, and it appears the wireless earbuds are coming very soon. Powerbeats Pro 2 images found in iOS 18 code In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the Powerbeats Pro 2 are "due imminently." In addition to Apple filing the Powerbeats Pro 2 in regulatory databases last month, Gurman said Apple is...