Apple Censorship: From The 'Kama Sutra' To 'Ulysses,' 9 Books And Book Apps Apple Has Censored Or Rejected (PHOTOS)

As Apple has gotten the chance to control more and more content with its ever-expanding app store the popular company has shown itself to be somewhat tyrannical and more than a little prudish when it comes to censorship. Books and book apps have gotten caught up in the storm of arbitrary rejections and strange censorship as Apple decides which make the cut into the apparently exclusive app store and iBookstore. Though the reasons for the censorship vary -- from gay themes to "objectionable" language -- the majority of these books and book apps have one thing in common: Apple reversed the censorship after being publicly derided across the Internet for their decision.

How many more book apps (that aren't porn) are being censored by Apple that we don't know about? Let us hear from you.

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"The Importance Of Being Earnest" Comic Book Adaptation, Tom Bouden

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In Tom Bouden's comic book adaptation of the Oscar Wilde play "The Importance of Being Earnest," he replaced Wilde's original band of characters with an all-male cast. On the iPad app, Apple placed black bars over images of men kissing. Apple's censorship of a gay kiss sparked rumors of Apple's discrimination against gays-themed material. Apple has reversed its decision and has made the comic available uncensored, admitting that their censorship was a "mistake". (Image courtesy Charles "Zan" Christensen / Prism Comics)

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In Tom Bouden's comic book adaptation of the Oscar Wilde play "The Importance of Being Earnest," he replaced Wilde's original band of characters with an all-male cast. On the iPad app, Apple placed black bars over images of men kissing. Apple's censorship of a gay kiss sparked rumors of Apple's discrimination against gays-themed material. Apple has reversed its decision and has made the comic available uncensored, admitting that their censorship was a "mistake".

(Image courtesy Charles "Zan" Christensen / Prism Comics)

comments(91)

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Comments

[Tails]

04:36 PM on 08/09/2010

But... Ulysses isn't obscene.

http://en.­wikipedia.­org/wiki/U­nited_Stat­es_v._One_­Book_Entit­led_Ulysse­s_by_James­_Joyce

If a Judge named Noble says so, then the argument ends there.

[brettrobbins]

11:27 AM on 07/27/2010

Sanitizing the world one great book at a time.

[colamonkey]

09:12 AM on 07/18/2010

And...uh..­.someone please do explain to me why Apple remains so popular, especially amongst the more progressiv­e crowd?

I'm about as liberal as they come and I can't stand Apple.

[rgilley]

01:38 PM on 07/15/2010

Apple the Censors? And who is surprized? Apple has Always been about control.

[Pectin]

08:50 PM on 07/14/2010

Wal*Mart doesn't sell "Deep Throat" DVDs, are they trampling all over your freedom, too?
Apple's book store is not your only option, there are several others.

[Krek]

09:00 PM on 07/14/2010

That saved me a trip.

[Pectin]

12:11 AM on 07/15/2010

Go anyway. For all I know they might have "Debbie Does Dallas" at a rollback price...

[arrgh]

12:03 PM on 07/15/2010

lol

[GabeSmall]

09:23 AM on 07/15/2010

Difference is, Apple is both the store and the delivery system.

[Johnny2Bad]

08:39 PM on 07/14/2010

Apple might be cutting edge technology­, but they're right there in the Dark Ages with regard to freedom of the press and censorship­. Wonder if they'll censor those chapters in Leviticus or is a passage about killing a woman who had sex with an animal acceptable to Apple's censorship gestapo?

[Hardyman1966]

06:18 PM on 07/14/2010

I would love one of Apple's shiny objects and have held out thus far.

I'll continue to wait until they agree that I'm old enough to pick what goes on MY machine.

They have turned into the very Big Brother they once mocked. It's a HUGE shame.

[Jean Reginald Charles]

04:46 PM on 07/14/2010

my last comment was slightly self-congr­atulatory hehee ;-)

[Jean Reginald Charles]

04:43 PM on 07/14/2010

I love Apple's products, but I strongly disagree with this. If I want to load porn on my ipod/phone­/pad then it's none of Apple's business. I'm fine with age verificati­on and such. But having Apple, or the FCC, or anyone else, decide what I can see, NO!

Anyway, I don't have an IPhone, because I refuse to subscribe to AT&T, very right wing company. And i use my Ipod touch for emailing, music, social networking­, news, weather, and some other applicatio­ns, but not for books or anything like that. I prefer real books, thank you. And I go buy them at independen­t stores, not Amazon, unless I really can't find the book I want.

[thebigbike]

09:52 PM on 07/14/2010

Try alibris instead a lot easier to find the books of all kinds

[J0E1]

04:37 PM on 07/14/2010

Remember guys, it's ok to listen to swear words but reading them is where you have to draw the line.

[Ian McLaughlin]

03:51 PM on 07/14/2010

9 more reasons not to own any Apple products.

[Higgs Boson]

03:39 PM on 07/14/2010

censorship of books is un-America­n

[Donns]

05:53 PM on 07/14/2010

Ergo Apple is unamerican and I refuse to buy their products.

[Scott23]

03:32 PM on 07/14/2010

I will never buy anything apple.

[Higgs Boson]

03:31 PM on 07/14/2010

This is why I use Books ......... actual Books ...... do not give away your power to choose what you read , support net neutrality

[rainbowblue]

03:30 PM on 07/14/2010

I don't understand how anyone could begin to think that Apple will dominate Amazon.com when Apple censors its book market. Yes, Amazon has had a couple of glitches--­but they were fixed, and considerin­g they don't happen all the time, I believe they really were glitches (not someone censoring)­. I can't see paying for a device that limits the content I choose to load on it. I thought that was the whole point of the personal computer (and all it's spin off gadgets).