As we noted in our post on Saturday, the application was probably approved because the description and application name omitted the dreaded "torrent" moniker. However, the ensuing publicity that has surrounded the app's release let the cat out of the bag, so to speak. Apple contacted Derek Kepner, the app's developer, and told him that IS Drive would be removed from the App Store, per Apple's App Store Review Guidelines.
Those guidelines, which were clarified in September, prohibit "apps that enable illegal file sharing."
Kepner spoke with TorrentFreak and indicated that he is drafting a letter to Apple, hoping the company will reconsider his application.
Kepner's argument is that BitTorrent is used for much more than just illegal file sharing and that the application itself doesn't infringe on any copyright.
Technically, of course, Kepner is right. Seriously though, let's just be honest, the way that the vast majority of users will use such an app -- which is designed to hook into ImageShack's torrent download service -- will be to download TV shows, movies, music and software. I know, I know, you only use BitTorrent to download your Ubuntu DVDs and to distribute patches for World of Warcraft. That's wonderful. Millions more download the latest episodes of Modern Family and Glee.