REJECTED: Remote Control for BitTorrent

Today Apple made it pretty clear it wants nothing BitTorrent-related in the App Store. Maza Digital's Drivetrain didn't pass Apple's subjective approval standards even though you don't actually download or upload anything from the iPhone. Drivetrain lets you control your BitTorrent downloads remotely using your iPhone. However, Apple has reportedly rejected the app because “this category of applications is often used for the purpose of infringing third party rights.” For those of you who don't know, BitTorrent is a file sharing protocol used for distributing files without a centralized server. While it can be and is used for legal distribution of music, movies, software and other types of digital media, it is most often used for illegal piracy. Drivetrain isn't actually a BitTorrent client though. It's a front-end for controlling downloads on Transmission, a popular BitTorrent client for Mac and other platforms. "This is nothing different than (what) you can do if you were sitting in front of Transmission," wrote Maza Digital's Aaron Scott in an e-mail to me. "It is a remote control!" He also pointed out there is a similar app already available in the App Store. "I think that it is ridiculous that they rejected it," Scott said. "Particularly when there is an app on the store that allows you to do the same already (Trackr)." Trackr (link opens in iTunes) does appear to be similar but blurs the line of whether it is connected to BitTorrent. Apparently, Trackr allows you to add and view RSS feeds of anything, including torrent files. If you add an RSS feed with torrents in it, a web-based interface is loaded for the BitTorrent client that's on your computer. There may be hope for you BitTorrent fiends out there because Drivetrain might still see the light of day. "I'll see what Apple does - if they change their minds and accept it then great, otherwise I was going to release on Cydia," he said. For now, add this to the list of apps which have been subjectively rejected/accepted. For those of you keeping score: Nine Inch Nails: Rejected Peeing: Accepted Drivetrain, remote control for Transmission: Rejected Trackr, web-based remote control for Transmission: Accepted

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