Apple Creates “Mind Boggling Greedy” iBooks Contract For Author Publications

Authors thinking about publishing their newest book to iBooks might want to take a second look at the company’s terms of service and then run, not walk, away from that particular option.

That’s because the company’s iBookstore licensing agreement not only gives Apple a 30% promised cut from anything you make selling on their book store, it gives them the right to 30% of everything an author makes regardless of where they sell their book.

Making matters worse the store doesn’t publish in the industry standard EPUB format which means they completely control copies sold to readers.

If they decided not to push your book? You’re out of look. As Ed Bott at ZDNet writes:

“I have never seen a EULA as mind-bogglingly greedy and evil as Apple’s EULA for its new ebook authoring program.”

Realizing the complete and utter stupidity of Apple’s contract licensing agreement a spokesperson for Microsoft tweeted:

“If you write a novel in Word, we promise not to take a 30% cut.”

In some cases critics are supporting Apple’s contract, stating that the program is meant as a publishing package “specifically for iPad devices” of course when that “specific” program allows Apple to collect on outside sales that argument holds no merit.

In the meantime Amazon does not offer the same type of restrictive agreement with authors and allows them to publish books in any other format at no additional charge.

Does it really surprise you to learn that Apple is attempting to extend its control over authors to the point of collecting on any future earned income regardless of where that income comes from?