Fruity cargo-cult Apple is getting heavy with an free app store which happens to commit heresy to everything that Steve Jobs' stands for.

Firstly GetJar does not listen to Steve Jobs, most of its business come from Android Apps and secondly it is dedicated to free software, which is stuff that Apple just can't get its head around. As a result Apple have sent lawyers around to GetJar armed with a cease and desist order demanding that the outfit shut down operations or face the music. GetJar said that the cease and desist letter seems to be part of the wider campaign that Apple is having to prevent its users being confused. Apparently Apple users are so stupid that they cannot tell the difference between an Apple App store and an Android one. Of course it is nothing to do with Apple trying to strongarm less financially well off competition out of the market. Apple is just screaming “think of our poor stupid users” which is probably fair enough. Anyone who buys apple gear is going to be poor and pretty dumb.

According to the GetJar bog the outfit was started by developers for developers in 2004 as a beta testing platform. It started distributing free apps in early 2005 and was among the pioneers of the modern direct-to-consumer (D2C) app store when the iPhone was just an R&D project. As you would expect, GetJar does not think that Steve Jobs has a right to the name App store. It has been using the word App Store in press releases since early 2009 and it is only now that Apple has got antsy. It looks like Apple threat comes on the back of a major PR and marketing campaign initiated by GetJar as it helped bring one of iOS’s most popular games, Cut The Rope, to Android. The problem is that GetJar apps are free and so Steve does not collect on them and they are wondering if this is an Apple move to shut them down for their audacity.

The spokesman said that software is becoming increasingly closed and larger companies exercising excessive force to get bigger shares of the pie. Android was supposed to be free and open, however developers have their price points micro-managed for them without input.

“If Apple isn’t suing Amazon, it’s suing start-ups. Now Microsoft, who is struggling to gain traction with Windows Mobile, is charging OEM’s for using Android using our country’s broken patent system,” he said.

Anyway GetJar said that it is not going to bend before the Wrath of Jobs. “In the words of Twisted Sister “We’re not going to take it!” Steve Jobs isn’t our Dad.” the spokesman said.

It is starting a Facebook Cause called The Open And Free App Movement (#OFAM) to encourage every pissed off developer, start-up, carrier, OEM or NGO “who is fed up with this crap” to make their voice heard.