Edible Apple

TUAW reports:

Readability simplifies websites for easier reading. It’s a service which strips online articles of annoying jiggly-belly ads and other distractions, puts that content into a very readable format, and delivers it to you in Safari or on mobile browsers. Readability was so loved by someone at Apple that they even put it into Safari. Unfortunately, you won’t see a Readability app in the App Store. Why? Readability requires a $5-a-month subscription.

Here, Readability lashes out in an open letter to Apple.

We’re obviously disappointed by this decision, and surprised by the broad language. By including “functionality, or services,” it’s clear that you intend to pursue any subscription-based apps, not merely those of services serving up content. Readability’s model is unique in that 70% of our service fees go directly to writers and publishers. If we implemented In App purchasing, your 30% cut drastically undermines a key premise of how Readability works.

And so the controversy soldiers on.