Forbidden links, what is the alternative?

[MrAlt]

Hi all!

We are about to publish an application on OVI store. But in the publisher guide, it is mentioned that "Content that includes links to external sites will be rejected by QA".

The user have to create an account on our website to use the application. We would have liked to put a link to a web page for creating an account in the help menu. Is it forbidden?

We would also have liked to insert a link to a forum for having a user feedback and offering a support. Is it forbidden?

Finally, we wanted to put an e-mail address for the same reasons than the forum. Is it forbidden?

And if it is forbidden, how should we do? We absolutely need that the user creates an account.

Thanks in advance for any help.

[tamhanna]

Hi,
I think that the safest way is to create a possibilty for the user to create the acocunt without opening the web browser - just use a socket to fire off a HTTP post or get query, for example.

Tam

[MrAlt]

Hi Tam!

You're right but we'd prefer for the moment the user to subscribe properly on the web site. Moreover it would drive us to another development cycle (that can be long if we would like something clean and robust) while the application is now almost ready.

Does anyone know what is really forbidden? Someone who succeeded to put some web links in an application available on the OVI? Someone who has been rejected because of the links? What could be an alternative? Just insert the links in the description of the application on the OVI page?

[symbianyucca]

you could also make a sub-domain for your web address, then the application link would open a page on that subdomain only, and that subdomain page opened would not have any links to anything else, but would only have the registration option, then you should be clear from the restriction at least.

[MrAlt]

Hi symbianyucca!

And thanks for your help.

The links are just inserted in the help menu. It's just a text displayed. The application do not open a web page directly. Does it change anything?

Your proposal is also interesting. But if we want the user to register, it's because the application and the web site work together. The user uses the application which sends data to the website that the user can retrieve there.

To resume, the user has to know the web site. But if we cannot put a link in the help menu...

[symbianyucca]

I'm not officially working for OVI, anyway, the rules are rather easy to read, and my proposal would be really safe way to go, and in most cases it is not too much work to do as well. Anyway, I do not have any other suggestion, nor would I want to go interpreting the rules.

[OviAndrew]

Hi symbianyucca!

And thanks for your help.

The links are just inserted in the help menu. It's just a text displayed. The application do not open a web page directly. Does it change anything?

Your proposal is also interesting. But if we want the user to register, it's because the application and the web site work together. The user uses the application which sends data to the website that the user can retrieve there.

To resume, the user has to know the web site. But if we cannot put a link in the help menu...

Hello MrAlt,

The main (but not only) reason for the rejection for external links is the presence of external billing solutions or distribution of content ourside the program.

Is your content paid? If so that all payments have to go through the OVI store and there cannot be any requirement for users to enter any payment details outside Ovi. This means that on your website there cannot be any fields that require the user to enter in order to obtain an account. The account registration webpage cannot have any competing promotional products or sensitive material (adult content.)

Content that includes links to external sites will only be rejected if it contains the following:

- Other external billing solution.
- Distribution of content outside of the program. See section 5.4 Non-Compete in the Terms and Conditions.
- Sensitive Material (Adult content).
- Registration on the purpose of collecting user information

If the external sites are merely for the following purpose(s), it will be approved:

- Registration for feature use only (e.g. registration for a social networking application or registration to play an online game is acceptable.)
- Adding free features (Score tracking or online profile)
- User feedback and offering application support (website forum link or emails)

If you have further inquiries, please contact the Ovi Support team at PublishtoOvi.support@nokia.com.

Hope this helps,
OviAndrew
OVI Publisher Support
Promote your Ovi Store App on the web now!
http://promotions.ovi.com/toolkit

[MrAlt]

Hi OviAndrew!

And thanks for your very precise reply. It should figure in the publisher's guide!

Our first application is intended to be distributed freely. So according to your explanations it won't be rejected if we insert a link to the registration page, a link to the support forum and an e-mail address (for support also). Great!

But we are considering the possibility of developing some other applications with paid content. And according to your explanations it won't be possible to publish it on OVI store. Let's take an example: a music application. This kind of application cannot be distributed on the store:
- You cannot publish if you sell the music tracks on your own website
- And it is also not possible to sell the music tracks on the OVI store
So it means that application with paid content like a music application (or something else like an application who would sell recipes, etc) cannot be distributed on the store. Could you confirm me that point?

Another question: You said "The account registration webpage cannot have any competing promotional products". If we create an registration page (totaly free) and at the end of the registration we display a download page. This download page have a link to the OVI store download page (in case the user have not already downloaded the application). In this download page, is it authorized to have links for the same product but for other OS?

Thanks again for your help.

[OviAndrew]

But we are considering the possibility of developing some other applications with paid content. And according to your explanations it won't be possible to publish it on OVI store. Let's take an example: a music application. This kind of application cannot be distributed on the store:
- You cannot publish if you sell the music tracks on your own website
- And it is also not possible to sell the music tracks on the OVI store
So it means that application with paid content like a music application (or something else like an application who would sell recipes, etc) cannot be distributed on the store. Could you confirm me that point?

Another question: You said "The account registration webpage cannot have any competing promotional products". If we create an registration page (totaly free) and at the end of the registration we display a download page. This download page have a link to the OVI store download page (in case the user have not already downloaded the application). In this download page, is it authorized to have links for the same product but for other OS?

Hello MrAlt,

Currently, we do not support subscription based applications (where users will be given access to "unlocked content" after they pay for downloading the application). The current system does not have a multi-step functionality where content files are unlocked and viewable upon the downloading of another. You will have to upload these files separately--e.g. individual recipes and/or individual songs(fyi, you cannot upload full versions and must have publishing rights to it).

Regarding your download page on your website, as long as the links do not direct users to external storefronts, it should be fine. If the links direct the users back to OVI to download the same application for other OS's (assuming you have them published as well), then it will be approved. However, those applications must be published in the Ovi store before you can promote them as such; Nokia will require you to remove the link if there is no such content available for the particular OS or device.

Hope this helps.

Best regards,
OviAndrew
OVI Publisher Support
Promote your Ovi Store App on the web now!
http://promotions.ovi.com/toolkit

[yiibu_steph]

What if the external links are simply to external content on our site or someone else's?

Scenario 1: We build a travel application with our own content but would like to provide "related links" to other useful content such as Wikipedia, WikiTravel or even Lonely Planet. These links would be provided for practicality and convenience but would in no way be affiliated with our application (nor would we imply that they are).

Scenario 2: We build a travel application with our own content but would like to provide links to other related content on our own site. This content would be created by us, it would be free and accessible by anyone (i.e. indexed by search engines, not password protected or tied to the Ovi app.) The link to this content would simply be provided to enhance the overall value of the application. Our web site may however contain other products not related to Ovi in any way e.g. we may have designed a poster or t-shirt that we would like to sell online. This does not compete with Ovi as Ovi does not sell t-shirts or posters.

Scenario 3: Same as Scenario 2 except that our website also promotes applications that we have designed for another platform (iPhone, Blackberry etc.) This promotion is on our web site only (i.e. we are not promoting the iPhone from app inside the Ovi app. but we may have a link on our web site called "other products" and one of these products may be for another platform.)

Would any of these be allowed?

Regards,

Stephanie