MLB Sues iPhone App Developer, Angers More Fans, Pleases More Lawyers

The MLB is yet again swinging it’s mighty "cease and desist" sword. This time, the sword points to an iPhone app developer who wanted to share his love of baseball with on-the-go fans.

Mark Knopper, the sole proprietor and employee of Bulbous Ventures, designed the iPhone application "Baseball", a baseball almanac that allows users to check statistics about MLB players dating back as far as 1888. Unlike MLB’s own "MLB At Bat" app (which costs $5) and presents current scores, statistics, and standings – Mark’s "Baseball" app attracts a whole other type of audience and costs nothing. So, his app doesn’t contend against MLB’s At Bat iPhone app.

So…what’s the problem then?

Take a look at the below screenshots of Baseball by Bulbous Ventures, and see if there’s a little lawyer somewhere inside ya. Try and guess what the MLB is crying about.

So? Did you figure it out?

Take a look at the first screenshot again. Yep – team logos.

The altruistic iPhone app developer who wanted to share his love for the game with other fans got a cease and desist letter from the MLB simply due to the fact that he had team logos on 1 page of his app.

Being faced by a giant like MLB gives Mark Knopper no choice but to stand down and accept the cease and desist letter. As a resolution, he’s planning to release an update to the app within the next few days which will either fuzz out the logos or replace them with entirely different images.

That being said, help Mark out and download "Baseball" here (link opens iTunes). Although you won’t help him out financially (the app is free), you’ll atleast boost his..umm…mood?

[via PC world]