Microsoft lists apps banned from Marketplace

Microsoft has published a list of prohibited application types

Microsoft has published a list of prohibited applications (PDF) that it will not allow to be sold on its Windows Marketplace for Mobile, announced earlier this year.

Among the banned applications are any that allow voice-over-IP, any over 10MB in size and any that change the default browser on the user's computer. Applications that sell, link to, or promote mobile voice plans are also banned.

Other limitations include a ban on any location-based software that could reveal the position of a user without their express consent, and any that allow customers to use other application stores.

In addition, any advertisements that appear in applications, a popular way to increase revenue for developers, must be approved by Microsoft before applications can be sold.

Microsoft opened Marketplace for Mobile to developers at the weekend and is expected to hold the official launch this summer.

However, the company may not get too many takers among the development community, as its terms do not stack up well next to competitors like Apple's App Store.

For example, Microsoft has said that developers will receive only 30 per cent of the price of any applications sold. Apple gives developers 70 per cent.

Developers will also have to buy a licence from Microsoft, at a cost of $99, to submit up to five applications a year. Any additional applications will cost another $99.

Apple lets developers post applications for free, once they have gone through a vetting process. It does not let buyers return applications for a refund, however, something Microsoft will allow within the first 24 hours of purchase.