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Lawsuit Over ‘Jew or not Jew’ iPhone App Dropped

Lawsuit over Jew or not Jew iPhone app droppedPARIS (AP/The Blaze) — French anti-racism groups dropped a lawsuit Thursday against Apple Inc. over an iPhone app called “Jew or not Jew?” after it was removed from circulation worldwide.

Lawyer Stephane Lilti, representing four anti-racism associations, said the decision was “motivated by the removal of the application in all countries of the world.”

“Where is the anti-Semitism in this case?,” Apple’s lawyer, Catherine Muyl, said during a hearing for the LICRA case on November 17, insisting that “this is not a discrimination case.”

“When Johann Levy conceived his application, he was worried that it would be perceived as too ‘pro-Jewish’,” Muyl explained.

Lilti said at a hearing in a Paris court Thursday that the app’s designer, Johann Levy, decided to remove it. Lilti said while the groups agreed to drop the lawsuit, their complaint “had beneficial effects.”

For those unfamiliar with the app, it lets users consult a database of celebrities and public figures to see if they are Jewish or not.

“Listed for you, thousands of Jewish personalities (through their mother), ‘half-Jewish’ (through their father), or converts,” the app’s inventor Johann Levy promised potential buyers on the French Apple Store, according to The Register.

The app was selling for 0.79 euro cents in France, but was removed from the French online App Store after anti-racism groups initially complained about it in September. However, the app remained available outside France, however, selling for $1.99 through Cupertino, California-based Apple’s U.S. App Store.

SOS Racisme, MRAP, the Union of Jewish Students of France and a group called J’accuse joined in a lawsuit against Apple, arguing that the app violated France‘s strict laws banning the compiling of people’s personal details without their consent.

Under the French penal code, stocking personal details including race, sexuality, political leanings or religious affiliation is punishable by five-year prison sentences and fines of up to €300,000 ($411,000).

Such laws were enacted in the decades following the Holocaust, which saw some 76,000 Jews deported from Nazi-occupied France to concentration camps. Fewer than 3,000 returned alive.

In an interview published in September, app developer Levy said he developed the app to be “recreational … as a Jew myself I know that in our community we often ask whether a such-and-such celebrity is Jewish or not,” Levy was quoted as saying in the daily Le Parisien.

The International League Against Racism and anti-Semitism (LICRA) has also dropped its demand that Apple uninstall the app from all devices where it has already been installed.

Apple has removed numerous apps from the App Store since it launched in mid-2008 for violating the myriad restrictions it imposes on developers.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Comments (17)

  • pennswoods
    Posted on November 26, 2011 at 7:18pm

    The Nazi’s classified people in Germany as Aryan and non Aryan based on the ancestral blood lines of the German population. They either favored or discriminated against individuals accordingly. The SS required all applicants to prove their “pure German blood” as back to the middle of the 18th century”. Anyone obsessed with famous people, or others, possibly sharing your ethnicity and classifying them by how the laws of a racist state or a religion gives them that claim based on who your mother, father, grandparents are or were is a racist. As an example,I feel this way about people who trace their ancestors back to some obscure Scottish Highland Clan or boast about their roots from an ancient Roman family as I do about Jews doing the same thing using blood as the basis to catagorize people as being a full Jew, a half Jew or quarter Jew, etc. If it‘s a matter of ethnic pride that’s is fine. I think it’s arrogance called “my side is best” and is wrong no matter who does it. The “right of return” to Israel is based on this concept of blood so I can understand how the Palestinian Muslims and minority Arab Christians feel being discriminated against and treated as 3rd class citizens in a land where their ancestors have lived for thousands of years. I have no love if the radical Palestians or Hamas or any Muslim radicals whatsoever but they do have a point and suffer from the racism and discrimination of the State of Israel which favors all Jews based on their blood “r

    Report Post »  
  • ihypnotise
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 2:47pm

    If you are a Jew, be proud. I don’t believe the developers of this app had anything positive in mind.

    Report Post »  
  • Jennifer_D
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 10:08am

    There is nothing wrong with having an application that identifies someone as Jewish because there isn’t anything wrong with being Jewish. I can see those who think the Jews control everything using this with ulterior motives, but it is great to highlight the accomplishments of the Jewish people. I read a story regarding a woman’s parents always being afraid of being added to any list or having to register for anything after the Holocaust. There are hate pages across the web that target Jewish people; there are even pages on Facebook devoted to hating Jews. Those are terrible and warrant focus unlike this application.

    Report Post » Jennifer_D  
  • paperpushermj
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 2:53am

    What a perfect tool for a dating service

    Report Post » paperpushermj  
  • blue_sky
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 5:59pm

    “France‘s strict laws banning the compiling of people’s personal details without their consent.”
    That is exactly what Ron Paul advocated when he voted against the last government census that collected too much info including GPS coordinates of every resident’s front door in the USA.
    Ron Paul said that USA constitution allows the government to ask only one question – “How many people live at this address?”

    Report Post »  
  • UlyssesP
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 5:34pm

    A digital version of those Star of David armbands and patches the Nazi’s made their “enemies” wear.

    Report Post » UlyssesP  
  • LadyLibertykicksASS
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 4:17pm

    Each Day is scary than the last !!!! Who ever thought of this needs to be charged with discrimination !!!
    I feel like we are standing at the edge of a cliff, and at any moment the whole world could tip …over the edge and into the abyss.

    Report Post »  
  • Moozmom
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 3:17pm

    When the developer sees his children, parents, wife, and friends beaten, experimented on for “medical” reasons with no anesthetic, starved, kicked, beaten, begging for death and then gassed and burned to death, then if he feels he can develop that ap, so be it.
    To disrespect the Jews is to disrespect God; he is their chosen people.

    Report Post »  
  • lukerw
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 3:00pm

    Technically… Judah was one of the 13 Tribes of Hebrews, thereby Jews… their portion of Land would be for the Jews… and their Temple represented the Jewish Religion… where the other Tribes had Different Rites, Rituals, and Practices… such as Dan, where Two Stones represented the Dual God, as cited in the Bible, and published in Research!

    Report Post » lukerw  
    • Tovia
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 9:23pm

      Lukerw, 13 Tribes??? There were only 12 Tribes named for the sons of Jacob, which Dan was one, and all were to worship THE ONE LIVING G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, so I am curious about your source for the 13 tribes and your comment regarding Dan: “two stones representing a dual god”. Can you cite your source for this?? With no disrespect, you should check what you have been reading.

      Report Post » Tovia  
    • Ded-Bred
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 1:54am

      Uh, Luker, are you serious? Judah was a large tribe and did indeed fight against Israel several times. But civil wars and brother v. brother is sadly common historically. But dual Gods? Sorry. One God. 3 aspects to Him: Father, the Mind, Personality. Son: the Body, flesh. Spirit: Essence, and the Comforter, who abides in you as you abide in Him. If you weren’t confused before, you are now. lol
      But we who are made in their likeness are three in one as well, right? We have a personality or the ‘you’ that makes you you. lol Unique, one-of-a-kind. Flesh, body we wear for a while. Spirit, which is eternal and will take our personality when we fly away.
      But no dual god. Sounds cultish, false, undoctrinally sound, and disturbing. If you’re able, please send an address for this dual godhead and the extra tribe(13?) Doesn’t sound Gnostic. Very obscure stuff. Go burn it if it’s a book……

      Report Post » Ded-Bred  
  • tankyjo
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 2:55pm

    Muslim? or not muslim? Riots all over the east!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Report Post » tankyjo  
  • AmericanLass
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 2:40pm

    What is meant to be used for innocent reasons, can also be used for nefarious reasons. Today is no time for innocence. If any of you lack Wisdom, ask your heavenly Father.

    Report Post » AmericanLass  
    • Ded-Bred
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 1:36am

      Bingo! and Amen!!! Centralized gov’ts.+ Personal info. = Bad News. Hitler walked into power easily. but had Weimar give him 1928 Gun Control as well as all Jews & Gypsies whereabouts. Lenin did the same. The Jews have had some very real persecution, genocide and absolute outrageous horrors to endure as a race mere decades ago. And in today‘s climate there’s been an alarming surge of anti-Semitism launched. But even more alarming is the complacency, and a sinister silence from the “European/N. American Enlightened, Tolerant Society”. How can so many turn a blind eye to a political religion who‘s primary directive is to achieve world domination and force their demonic tyranny upon all of those who they don’t murder outright? By the way, all that I’m accusing these murderers and liars of is easily proven by their own Quran. Oh, Islam is NOT Arabic for “peace”. It really means “submit”.
      Who in their right mind would feel safe with your name on a list as Jew knowing that millions of your people were slaughtered 60 years ago just for being Jewish? And also knowing U.S. President and French P.M. bad mouthed Netanyahu weeks ago? Oh, you CANNOT have the surname Hussein unless you’re Muslim. Barak? Christian? Yeah, right. We are going through very dark times people. Get ready, this is NOT a drill….praying you know Christ as friend, Lord and Creator and through grace, Savior

      Report Post » Ded-Bred  
  • Stoic one
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 1:49pm

    And one world government inches closer one step at a time……

    Report Post » Stoic one  
  • Underground Man
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 1:49pm

    What a ridiculous French law.

    Report Post » Underground Man  

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