Apple approves a “Hitler Book” app with Nazi Symbol as its logo. How did no one catch this?
By Zee on November 6, 2009
Apple has approved an eBook Application of a book written by Hilter including Nazi symbols as the application icon.
The book titled Mein Kampf (Mi Lucha in Spanish) is a book written by Adolf Hitler, combining elements of his autobiography with an exposition of ideas of the political ideology of National Socialism.
The most shocking feature of the application is unquestionably its logo, the Swastika, in plain site in the apps directory.
This comes not days after Apple banned an app for mentioning the word iPhone.
How did no one catch this?
Update: Ralf, one of our team, comments below stating that the symbol in Germany is even prohibited by law (German link: http://bundesrecht.juris.de/stgb/__86a.html).
Based in London, Zee is Editor in Chief of The Next Web.Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by The Next Web and David Petherick, HJS. HJS said: Apple approved a “Hitler Book” app with Swach Sticker as its logo. How did no one catch this?: Apple has approve… http://bit.ly/1FgQ85 [...]
I’m not going to argue with all the stupid reasons Apple has banned other apps for, because there are just so many silly examples.
But under what criteria should this app have been banned? Because it contains content that you disagree with? If you don’t like the content don’t buy it, but don’t shut it down completely so that it cannot be studied by others with an interest. The blocking of ideas perverse to us is the most dangerous threat to freedom and democracy.
Not that the app store is a free and democratic place of course. But don’t start justifying the blocking of apps you don’t like because others have been blocked for less.
Promoting a better openness in Apple’s review policy I can support, but bickering about who should receive the brunt of their failed policies is just silly and validates the broken system.
Me personally, it doesn’t offend. The logo however, that’s a completely different story.
Whats wrong with the logo?
Swastika is a cultural symbol from ancient India,just ‘coz nazis fucked it up doesn’t mean it needs to be banned.
That is absolutely horrifying. I just searched for it in iTunes and confirmed its existence – unbelievable. Is there somewhere we can report/complain about the application to get it removed? It is exactly this kind of lack of historical perspective that scares me about our world.
Swach Sticker
Eh?
In Germany (where I’m based) using the symbol is even prohibited by law (German link: http://bundesrecht.juris.de/stgb/__86a.html).
I checked and the app is even available in the German App Store. I wonder for how long.
Swach Sticker…? Do you mean Swastika…?
N
[...] thenextweb Spara / Dela med [...]
[...] the Apple putting Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf into the App Store, as they have today, as both The Next Web and Edible Apple spotted. It’s a book, it’s a rather big part of history, it’s in [...]
Well, the word ‘iPhone’ isn’t mentioned in it, so it’s OK. Note that it has been rated for mild mature and suggestive themes…
Whoever approved this should be fired. Full stop.
Wouldn’t there be even more discussion if Apple actually would ban the app because of it’s logo? (especially since the swastika is an imporant religious symbol in Hinduism and Buddhism)
I think the app itself is fine – it’s a book and I don’t think Apple has the right to censor its existence.
I DO on the other hand disagree with the logo design. It may or may not cause more discussion if it’s removed, due to its other meanings – but in THIS context it’s inappropriate because it’s not being used as a religious symbol.
[...] the Apple putting Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf into the App Store, as they have today, as both The Next Web and Edible Apple spotted. It’s a book, it’s a rather big part of history, it’s in [...]
[...] the Apple putting Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf into the App Store, as they have today, as both The Next Web and Edible Apple spotted. It’s a book, it’s a rather big part of history, it’s in [...]
I can’t see a good reason to ban this app however repugnant the choice of logo may be. It’s a book with a valid historical context, banning it due to it’s content would be very 1984. The logo has dire connotations but is again important in a historical context and again attempting to erradicate it’s use in a historical context would be dangeous revisionism.
I’m not sure how relevant the logo choice is to the book as I’m not an historian, but I thought the logo use arose long after the book was published, so it’s possibly a poor choice from the app publisher and if it has been done for sensationalist and crass marketing reasons then that’s deplorable – but by helping hyping it with hysteria is counter productive.
[...] aus der Redaktion nach hause kam, stöberte ich noch ein wenig im Netz und musste unter anderem bei TheNextWeb lesen, dass es eine App – von der man es niemals vermutet hätte – tatsächlich [...]
Who is getting the money on app purchases? Does the uploader own the copyright to publish a book written by Adolf Hitler? Does a nazi-group in Spain (or whereever) bankroll their activities with this?
Sorry, but is a Swatch sticker???
where does it say that? it was a mistake in the original title but was changed almost 20 seconds later
It’s not on the home page but the link from there and the page title still says swatch sticker
Swatch Sticker?!
I don’t get it – where does it say that?? It was there for about 30 seconds…but gone now. Where does it say it?
it says it when people use the old links
Swatch Sticker?!
that’s really too big a failure to not be remembered or noted.
As a jew I am heily offended by this.
That is disguting and should be banned!
Mirko
Swach Sticker? Is that I joke I don’t get? It’s “Swastika” and “in plain sight”.
This is BS. The book appears (with the symbol) in Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Mein-Kam.....pd_sim_b_5
and in many other bookstores. It is studied in many history classes.
Pretty much every copy of Mein Kampf on Amazon displays the Swastika
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb.....=mein+kamp
Why should it be allowed on texts but not an app. It’s a Nazi text, it’s surely logical to use the logo that the Nazi’s used as the app logo.
Is it really that big of a deal to people? Honestly, its even rediculous that this was even deemed worthy of being “news”. The eBook is obviously of educational/historical value, why would they not use a logo relevant to the subject matter?
If you are all offended so much by a symbol borrowed from religious groups by the Nazis, then I wish you good luck if you ever get off your redneck asses to visit any eastern/Asian countries!
Funny though: The Bavarian State holds the copyright of that book. And does not license it’s retail to anyone. So no matter what: This app is at least a copyright infringement.
… should read: german copyright, don’t know about international rights.
FUCK the swastica!
Hey i can understand why this would ruffel a few feathers but does no one see the irony in banning an audio book because it’s about Hitler and the Nazi party? Book burnings to banishment from the app store, hindering the free flow of ideas is never a good thing. If you don’t like the content use your power as a consumer and just refuse to buy the book. Simple as that.
Banning books or applications just because we find them offensive is wrong, we should embrace free speech and allow this kind of material to be available.
The Nazis started by burning books they found offensive, you cannot just delete history, the terrible acts of the Nazis must never be forgotten or deleted from history.
No-one is forcing you to buy this book, vote with your cash and don’t buy it. Censorship however is always wrong.
FWIW, the “swach sticker” (which is in my URL bar as I write this) is apparently the product of voice dictation software that got confused.
[...] App because of nudity (in Europe nudity is something considered natural…) but they let in Adolf Hitlers “Mein Kampf” (of which publication and use of nazi symbols is punished by jail up to 3 years in Germany; the app [...]