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Apple Tightens App Store Review Requirements -- Gotta Own It First
Monday, September 29th, 2008 at 7:40 AM - by
Apple Inc. has changed a fundamental aspect of its App Store customer reviews, adding a requirement that customers have bought or downloaded it before being allowed to post a review. Users who have not downloaded a given app who click on the "Write a review" link found on every app in the App Store will be given a message (see the screenshot below) explaining the requirement.
According to our tests at iPodObserver.com, the restriction has been introduced for both free and paid apps on the App Store.
A novel idea, the move appears to have been aimed at counteracting the legions of dillweeds people who have posted 1-star reviews to protest the price of some paid apps without having actually downloaded or used it.
As noted by SiliconAlleyInsider, which first reported the development, Apple appears to have removed reviews that don't meet the requirement from the App Store.

Try to review an app before you've downloaded it, and you'll get this message.
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