The popular video app, VLC, has been removed from the iOS App Store by Apple due to a licensing disagreement between developers of the app and creators of the VLC open source platform. The app, created by Applidium, was removed because of an issue between the terms and conditions of the App Store and the GNU Public Licence, which had apparently been brought to Apple’s attention two months ago, around a month after the app was launched.
The VLC Player, also available for Mac, is a one-stop toolbox for playing virtually any type of media file and it’s migration on to iPad via the App Store was a welcome addition, particularly since it was offered free of charge. Originally offered on the Mac platform, where it is still available, VLC has become one of the most popular choices for playing video files.
There are still alternatives to the VLC player still available on the iOS App Store, however, including CineXPlayer and OPlayer, both available as paid apps. Users can still get VLC for Mac at the download site.
The removal of the App is a real shame for iPad owners as VLC, while not the most stable app in the world, was excellent for playing pretty much any type of media file that you could care to find. A developer of the original VLC application for Mac did unfortunately not see it this way and the licensing issue has resulted in iOS users losing out. While this may be the end for VLC on iOS devices at the moment, hopefully some modifications will be made to the VLC license with a view to moving the player back on to the App Store.
An excellent overview of the original dispute can be found over at ArsTechnica for those who are interested.
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