App Store RejectionGuideline 5.2.1 — Intellectual Property

You're Using Someone Else's Content Without Permission

Copyrighted fonts, stock photos without a license, background music you didn't license, or code copied from a repository with an incompatible license — all of these can get your app rejected under 5.2.1.

What Apple said

“Your app includes content that may be protected by intellectual property rights, including music, images, or third-party code, and we could not verify that you have the right to use this content. Please provide documentation confirming you have the necessary licenses, or remove the protected content.”

What this actually means

Apple requires that you own or have explicit rights to everything in your app — including fonts, images, music, sound effects, and open-source libraries. Even content that looks free often comes with attribution requirements or commercial use restrictions. If a reviewer notices content they recognize as belonging to someone else, you'll get rejected.

What Apple needs to see

  • Music and sound effects from royalty-free sources with a commercial license, or original compositions
  • Images either created by you, purchased with a commercial license, or from license-appropriate sources like Unsplash
  • Fonts that are licensed for use in commercial applications — system fonts or appropriately licensed web fonts
  • Open-source libraries with licenses compatible with App Store distribution (MIT, Apache 2.0 — not AGPL)
  1. 1Audit every asset in your project — music, images, icons, fonts — and verify the license permits commercial use in a shipped app
  2. 2Replace any asset whose license is unclear with a clearly licensed alternative before resubmitting
  3. 3Check your open-source dependencies for GPL or AGPL licenses that may be incompatible with closed-source App Store apps
  4. 4Document your licenses in a 'Licenses' screen or file you can show Apple if challenged — many apps include this in Settings
  5. 5Update your terms of service at yourapp.baseterms.com/terms to accurately describe third-party content used in your app

While you're at it — Apple also requires these pages for every app.

Fix this rejection, then make sure you're covered on the compliance side too. Apple requires every app to link to a hosted Privacy Policy, Terms of Service, Support page, and Data Deletion page. No link means another rejection — just for a different reason.

Privacy Policy
Terms of Service
Support Page
Data Deletion Page
Generate my compliance pages — FREE

Common questions

I bought a font from a type foundry — is that enough?
It depends on the license. Many font licenses are for web or print use only and don't cover embedding in an app. Look specifically for 'application embedding' or 'app' licensing from the foundry. If it doesn't explicitly cover apps, you need a different license or a different font.
I found an image on Google Images — can I use it if I credit the author?
No. Attribution doesn't grant you a commercial license. You need explicit permission from the rights holder or a Creative Commons license that permits commercial use (CC BY or CC BY-SA, for example). When in doubt, pay for a licensed image or use a source like Unsplash.
How do I handle this rejection if I genuinely believe I have the rights?
Reply in the Resolution Center with documentation — a license agreement, a purchase receipt, or a letter from the rights holder. Be specific about which content was questioned and provide clear evidence. Apple will review your documentation before making a final decision.