Here’s something you didn’t know — “iPad, iPhone and the iPhone Gift Card may not be used in third-party promotions.” Well then. That puts a stop to a number of contests that I’ve entered over the years.
Seriously. It’s in black and white as printed in the Guidelines for Third-Party Promotions from Apple. Oh, you also can’t use the word “free”. Apple doesn’t like that.
The use of “free” as a modifier in any Apple product reference in a prominent manner (headlines, callouts, etc.) is prohibited.
Of course you’ll need to take your own photos, because using any of Apple’s stock imagery is strictly prohibited. You’ll also need to avoid using any of Apple’s legally trademarked names and terms. Not sure if you’re violating that? There’s a handy list of all 300+ of them right here.
Now that you’ve made sure that you’re not infringing on Apple’s trademarks (you didn’t use the logo, did you?) and you’ve taken all of your own photos, it’s time for the next step — Apple’s review.
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Yes, just like the App Store, there’s apparently a review process for any sanctioned giveaway of Apple products.
You must submit all marketing materials related to the promotion of Apple products to Apple for review. Please provide materials to your Apple account representative with sufficient leadtime to enable Apple to complete its review before you begin use of the materials.
Of course, sufficient is a pretty relative term.
The list of crazy continues, but I’ll let you read the rest on your own. Suffice it to say, Apple has had these stipulations in place for quite some time, but hasn’t strictly enforced them. Let’s hope that it stays that way, or the App Store approval process might take even longer than before.
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