Apple iBooks Censors 'Sperm'? (PICTURE)

Apple's censors have been known to block 'adult' content from the iTunes App Store--only recently, 6,000 'sexy' apps were pulled without warning--and it seems Apple's iBooks, a sort of iTunes for eBooks, could be no exception.

In this case, Apple's word filter has taken issue with 'sperm.'

As BoingBoing points out, Apple blocked out the word 'sperm' in a description for Herman Melville's Moby Dick on iBooks.

See the screenshot below:

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Should 'sperm' be censored?

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Comments

[cjsamms]

08:07 AM on 04/08/2010

Reminds me of Jimmy Kimmel's Unnecessary Censorship

[kidjudas]

07:55 AM on 04/07/2010

I wonder if they censor other words. Or even titles.

For instance:

Shakespeare's "T--us Andronicus"

[muypolitico]

10:46 PM on 04/07/2010

If they put novelizations movies, soon they will have "007: Octop“““y"

[Sita001]

10:00 PM on 04/06/2010

will iPhones start censoring our text messages too now? grow a brain people

[ilovecandy]

06:13 PM on 04/06/2010

Do all e-readers do this or just apple. If I buy a book I want the complete book, not just what you think I should read.

[Bucket-Of-Love]

05:05 PM on 04/06/2010

I'm surprised the books title doesn't read "Moby D**k".

[BebeLush]

04:25 PM on 04/06/2010

Yet another reason to simply pick up a book.

[mmorgann]

03:03 PM on 04/06/2010

I choose to buy technology that lets ME decided what programs I want to run. I can think for myself, and I don't want Apple to tell me what I can and cannot run on my own computer.

[paulbikes]

02:04 PM on 04/06/2010

morons.

[MarkInIrvine]

01:26 PM on 04/06/2010

this is ridiculous ... as though somebody gong to the trouble of reading "Moby Dick" would be offended by the name of an animal ... gimme a buckin' frake!

[Exasperated]

01:09 PM on 04/06/2010

One of my biggest complaints about the iPad and the app store, which has gotten almost zero attention in the media, is that third party apps are so locked down and subject to the approval of Steve Jobs and company. This is a serious flaw in the model. You have the iPad, you have one choice of content: that which Steve Job's approved. Apple once disapproved an anti-Bush app saying that it would alienate half of Apple's customers. I get that. But there is no other source for the apps. Either let go of the restrictions and let the 'marketplace' determine what gets 'approved', or open it up. This has serious implications down the road.

[HarkaDahl]

12:18 PM on 04/06/2010

1. There is nothing wrong with a kid of any age knowing what sperm is.

2. America's adults have chosen to live in the child's world rather than bring child up to fit into the adult world.

3. infantilisation of the American population has been going on for decades (TV scripts, political discourse, commercial language, incessant reduction to the L-C-D in all areas of life) its a mass-psychological process, i dont know why or how it came about, but it leaves otherwise intelligent adults sounding like toddlers.

SPERM!

[hypodoche]

01:08 PM on 04/06/2010

And you neglect to note that the picture used for the link to a story about censoring the word "sperm"... is an open female mouth with a line across it? I mean really? Typical HP.

[cwfutureboy]

11:40 AM on 04/06/2010

Seriously? It's scientific terminology?

I don't understand all the embarrassment and shame that some people associate with parts of someone's body, not to mention the scientific terms of said parts/functions, etc.

[Tmboy]

09:27 AM on 04/06/2010

Umm but they did not censor the Dick in Moby Dick... interesting

[JackiChan]

05:38 AM on 04/06/2010

Just another reason to NOT get an ereader and or an ipad. Might as well buy books from the German Workers' Party.

The irony is that so many classics of literature have "adult" language I wonder how they are going to take themselves seriously when it comes to promoting their ibooks. Just think about how much content will be blotted out in titles such as A clockwork orange or The catcher in the rye...

Life, you fail at it, Apple.

[Gerardo Quiroga]

05:26 AM on 04/06/2010

I'm sorry but Apple has no business censoring any content for me, I am an adult and will not tolerate anyone to push their views on morality on me much less a corporation. Children? Don't let children download adult content, its not that hard to check age with the credit card on file. Not buying the Ipad either, monopolistic and controlling moves from a corporation cannot be encouraged no matter how well (or from what I hear NOT) the product works. It starts small and who knows where it ends?

[jasondrew]

08:42 AM on 04/06/2010

That's all well and good...don't buy an iPad - last time I checked, no one is forcing you. With regard to your age comment, though... Really? Verify if a user is a child based on credit card information... Really?!? I don't know about where you're from, but where I'm from you have to be 18 to get a credit card and if you're not, the card is in a parent's name (who is over 18).

[HarkaDahl]

12:04 PM on 04/06/2010

- the point is if there is no credit card in that child's name/address on file then by default he cannot download.