iPhone web app created - wait on native app for release?

knine143 · 07-03-2009, 10:38 AM

Hey all.

I'm new to iPhone development. I came up with an idea for an iPhone application and created an iPhone web app. However, I eventually want to make it into a native app. Unfortunately, this will take some time because I am currently unfamiliar with the SDK.

Is it wise for me to release my web app before starting work on the native app? Is there any chance that someone will steal my idea and create the native app themself, or is that somehow protected against?

Thanks for the help. Any input is very much appreciated.

Sincerely,
Ben

MarkHernandez · 07-04-2009, 02:06 AM

Hi Ben,

I think every developer has asked themselves that same question!

Maybe rather than "steal" we should instead think of "imitate." Someone could only steal from you if they actually obtained your native source code or your javascript and CSS files and used them directly in their own code. But even if they did, how could you prove it? And if you are an individual developer, you won't have the resources to challenge anyone in court. And if it's from another country, you are out of luck.

I think we can all expect people to imitate our idea.

The iPhone itself is the perfect example of something that everyone wants to imitate. And certainly the people that developed the Palm Pre were a bunch of Apple employees hired away, and now the CEO of Palm is the former head of the Apple iPod division. And in fact, the Palm Pre utilizes things that are explicitly patented by Apple.

But clearly Apple has decided that rather than take Palm to court and get dragged down into a mud fight with them, it's better to simply leave them in the dust. Which they have.

Likewise, you can expect that you will have imitators. And it's probably highly unlikely that they will exactly duplicate what you've done, and you have to the opportunity to do it better or do it in your own style, which gives you an advantage.

At the end of the day, I think you just have to tell yourself to go for it and not look back. Do the best you can and expect that when you travel down this path, even more opportunities and great ideas will open up before you as you go along. Don't worry about it. This is just the first idea of many, even if you don't know what the next one(s) will be.

And by releasing your web app first you will benefit from real-world experience and feedback which will save you even more time when you are constructing your native Objective-C app and give you just that much more advantage.

I hope that was comforting in some way. Believe me, I have to remind myself of this all the time!

Mark

07-03-2009, 10:38 AM	#1 (permalink)
knine143 Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1	iPhone web app created - wait on native app for release? Hey all. I'm new to iPhone development. I came up with an idea for an iPhone application and created an iPhone web app. However, I eventually want to make it into a native app. Unfortunately, this will take some time because I am currently unfamiliar with the SDK. Is it wise for me to release my web app before starting work on the native app? Is there any chance that someone will steal my idea and create the native app themself, or is that somehow protected against? Thanks for the help. Any input is very much appreciated. Sincerely, Ben

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07-04-2009, 02:06 AM	#2 (permalink)
MarkHernandez Administrator Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 500	Hi Ben, I think every developer has asked themselves that same question! Maybe rather than "steal" we should instead think of "imitate." Someone could only steal from you if they actually obtained your native source code or your javascript and CSS files and used them directly in their own code. But even if they did, how could you prove it? And if you are an individual developer, you won't have the resources to challenge anyone in court. And if it's from another country, you are out of luck. I think we can all expect people to imitate our idea. The iPhone itself is the perfect example of something that everyone wants to imitate. And certainly the people that developed the Palm Pre were a bunch of Apple employees hired away, and now the CEO of Palm is the former head of the Apple iPod division. And in fact, the Palm Pre utilizes things that are explicitly patented by Apple. But clearly Apple has decided that rather than take Palm to court and get dragged down into a mud fight with them, it's better to simply leave them in the dust. Which they have. Likewise, you can expect that you will have imitators. And it's probably highly unlikely that they will exactly duplicate what you've done, and you have to the opportunity to do it better or do it in your own style, which gives you an advantage. At the end of the day, I think you just have to tell yourself to go for it and not look back. Do the best you can and expect that when you travel down this path, even more opportunities and great ideas will open up before you as you go along. Don't worry about it. This is just the first idea of many, even if you don't know what the next one(s) will be. And by releasing your web app first you will benefit from real-world experience and feedback which will save you even more time when you are constructing your native Objective-C app and give you just that much more advantage. I hope that was comforting in some way. Believe me, I have to remind myself of this all the time! Mark