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Should I provide a EULA for an iPhone app?

I understand that apps are covered by the default EULA that the App Store provides but, during some research today, three apps in a row asked me to agree to an explicit EULA when the app first started. It made me wonder if I should have one.

If it makes any difference to your answer, my app will send a small amount of data to a central server. Nothing sensitive.

I plan to have a privacy policy within the app but to not make the user explicitly acknowledge it....and no EULA Does that sound right?

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3 Answers

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If it makes any difference to your answer, my app will send a small amount of data to a central server. Nothing sensitive.

The App Store EULA already covers this case (if the data is used only to improve the app). If you are not sure about whether you should provide one, it is likely that the one written by Apple's layers is better than anything that you would mash-up.

So my opinion is not to provide a custom EULA until you are successful enough to afford professional legal advice.

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I like your pragmatism. It reflects my own. I look forward to the day I can afford a lawyer. – Kevin Lawrence Apr 8 '11 at 14:55
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You should always have an EULA. If you start making money some people will probably try to exploit your lack of protection.

Regarding data sent to your server, take it seriously. Apple is being sued by people because some apps don't ask permission to do so to its users (Pandora, dictionary.com, your app may be in the list?).

If you can't afford a lawyer yet to write your EULA, take 3 existing ones and build one using the best of them.

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Why was this voted down? – Matthew Dorian Jan 3 '11 at 21:27
Probably a collateral damage from one of my other answer. – user3997 Jan 3 '11 at 21:50
up vote 1 down vote

A lot of iphone apps seem to bury their EULA in the settings page - my intended compromise is to have the user acknowledge the EULA and privacy policy only at the point where they will post data back to to the server.

For local use - no EULA.

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