Ovi store is expected to launch in a few weeks, ahead of the release of the Nokia N97, and become available on millions of existing S60 and Series 40 devices from Nokia. I caught up with Eric John, Director of Media Product Marketing for Nokia Services, to discuss the developer proposition offered by Ovi store.
Read on in the full article.
As long as they have a business ID, everyone is welcome.
I'd still like to know what happens to freeware. How do freeware authors (such as most open source collaborators) get their app onto Ovi Store?
They can go in like everyone else. i.e. they will need a business ID. What this is varies from country to country. e.g. in some countries it may be as simple as a social security number [clarified, see below].
However this is obvisouly not ideal. I do know that Nokia are looking at this problem (specifically with open source). We'll report on this when we learn more.
This same issue exists around signing and there does now appear to be some willingness to address both of these issues. Wacth this space.
I really don't like the sound of Symbian Signed being a must...
Rafe wrote:They can go in like everyone else. i.e. they will need a business ID. What this is varies from country to country. e.g. in some countries it may be as simple as a social security number.
If social security numbers are accepted, maybe they need to actually use that phrase instead of "business id". To my ears at least, the phrase "business id" makes it sound like you have to be a registered company to become a publisher.
A lot of people who create content (software, themes, wallpaper etc) may be doing it as a hobby, or even as part of their studies at university, so they wouldn't necessarily be linked to a registered company at all.
I'm assuming social security number applies to sole trader status and only applies in some countries.
Tzer2 wrote:I'd still like to know what happens to freeware. How do freeware authors (such as most open source collaborators) get their app onto Ovi Store?
I think you are perhaps misusing the term 'freeware', or assuming that the authors of such are non-commercial entities. This is not the case. There are many types of freeware that are produces by companies that make money in other ways. Freeware just means software that is free.
Yes, I would also like to know what how they intend to minimize the expense incurred by individuals who give away software and who aren't commercial entities - ie they don't have a business id. One example of such a person might be one who develops software as a hoby. Clearly they don't want to go to all the hassle of becoming a business.
Tzer2 wrote:If social security numbers are accepted, maybe they need to actually use that phrase instead of "business id". To my ears at least, the phrase "business id" makes it sound like you have to be a registered company to become a publisher.A lot of people who create content (software, themes, wallpaper etc) may be doing it as a hobby, or even as part of their studies at university, so they wouldn't necessarily be linked to a registered company at all.
I don't think he meant that SSNs will be accepted by the Ovi store; instead he meant to suggest that what is needed to get a 'business id' varies from country to country and in some countries anyone with an SSN can get a 'business id'.
I wonder what countries those are? It might be a good place to set up a proxy company, like an agency or something like that. 😊
I wonder what a 'link item' is...(in the video)
I think you are perhaps misusing the term 'freeware', or assuming that the authors of such are non-commercial entities. This is not the case. There are many types of freeware that are produces by companies that make money in other ways. Freeware just means software that is free.
Fair enough, let me be more specific... 😊
If someone creates high quality free content, and this person isn't a commercial entity, how do they get that content onto Ovi Store?
I don't think he meant that SSNs will be accepted by the Ovi store; instead he meant to suggest that what is needed to get a 'business id' varies from country to country and in some countries anyone with an SSN can get a 'business id'.
If that's the case, wouldn't it be easier for Nokia to just ask for the social security number directly?
Does everyone have to at least pretend to be a business in order to publish on Ovi Store? 😊
Tzer2 wrote:
If that's the case, wouldn't it be easier for Nokia to just ask for the social security number directly?
Easier for whom? Not for Nokia, I'd say....
Does everyone have to at least pretend to be a business in order to publish on Ovi Store? 😊
My interpretation is that this is indeed the case, at least at the moment...
...but both are unambiguous questions. I wonder what the *real* answers are - I've heard a lot of guesses, but nothing really particularly definitive. It always seems to be "not right now, but we're working on it", or something like that.
Yes davidmaxwaterman is correct. It would not be the ssid directly. But for self-employed individuals there should be a tax reference on their tax return (which is linked to their SSID). But this varies from county to country. That's what I meant. So yes individuals can't just sign up. However everyone should seek their own advice on this.
It's all about the tax, what might be good if Nokia allows for accounts that only allow non-commerical ('free'😉 stuff. But at the moment I suspect Nokia are sorting out the commercial side of thing first with bigger companies as the priority. That's not what people want to hear, but ultimately the commercial stuff is what will allow the Ovi Store to work.
I will try and get some clarification on this though.
Soo.
If someone creates high quality free content, and this person isn't a commercial entity, how do they get that content onto Ovi Store?
There's no way at the moment (short of setting up a company), but as others have noted this is probably going to change. Sorry for the confusion caused. I'd also recommend people check the Ovi Publish forum on Forum Nokia.
It's all about the tax, what might be good if Nokia allows for accounts that only allow non-commerical ('free'😉 stuff.
Yeah, that's pretty much what I didn't understand. If someone just wants to upload freeware, you'd think tax laws would be irrelevant as no money would be changing hands.
Can't Nokia just make developers do their own tax? Therefore offloading all responsibility off Nokia?
Unregistered wrote:Can't Nokia just make developers do their own tax? Therefore offloading all responsibility off Nokia?
Isn't this exactly what they've done? How else can they ensure developers declare the profits on their tax returns?
You didn't think Nokia were going to file developers' tax returns, did you?
The only alternative would be to ignore the whole issue of tax and just rely on developers behaving legally.
Do either the Apple Store or the Blackberry Store require a tax ID? I'm fairly sure the Apple store doesn't, and I'd be surprised if the Blackberry store did.
It's not just freeware developers who are going to be hurt by this... it's the small hobbyist developers who won't bother releasing software. Apple seems to cater to them, and Nokia... doesn't have a clue.
Looks like they don't really require business ID to register you company. At least for now. Makes no sense to require one until you make some money.
here guys take a sneek peek at a video of OVI store app running on n85, http://conversations.nokia.com/2009/04/03/videos-more-on-the-ovi-store-and-publish-to-ovi/
it's looking very promising i must add, I cant wait for launch
Eric: We have been learning about selling software in a mobile environment through initiatives such as Download! These initiatives have been successful, but we always want to do better.
Are you having a laugh mate?
Download! is one of the most maligned systems of all time.
I'm sorry but I'm not keen on corporate spin. I get enough of it in the organisation I work for. Let's be honest about things. Correct statement would be 'Download has been rubbish - now we are doing something much better'.
Agreed with above. Could he have actually said that with a straight face? Amazing..
If a developer sells software in other countries through a reseller, the reseller handles the VAT. The proceeds of the sale are also subject to income tax or other taxes, depending on the kind of business (sole trader, limited etc). The country of the reseller might take that income tax out of the money made by the developer. E.g the US government takes a 30% cut from the money made by the developer, and the reseller is obliged to take that cut on behalf of the US government.
A number of countries have signed tax treaties, meaning that the country of the developer will tax the developer and the country of the reseller won't tax the developer. You might need to do something for that, eg if you don't want the US government to tax you and your home country has a tax treaty with the US, you have to apply to the US government for a special US tax id. You won't be taxed by the US, but you will be taxed by your own country. This makes filling in your own taxes easier, and your country might have lower taxes too.
If Nokia allows selling software from an individual who isn't registered, so Nokia essentially doesn't know who the individual is, Nokia is in essence operating a money laundring scheme. The idea is to buy software with black money, and getting 70% of it back as revenue from selling mobile content. There's also the possibility of creating black money this way. Finally, people might rip of other peoples work by selling it or giving it as their own on Ovi.