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Apple's 'baffling censorship problem' has left app developers and comic publishers unsure about what they can submit to the App Store, after an issue of space fantasy comic Saga is blocked for containing adult content.

Edition 12 of the comic, which is distributed through an iPhone and iPad application, was not allowed to be published because it contained two scenes of gay sex. Explicit adult content is banned under Apple's terms and conditions, but previous issues of Saga have been granted access to the App Store, despite having similar content.

Ron Richards, director of business development at Image Comics, told IBTimes UK: "Censoring of apps is definitely a problem, especially for apps that contain content [such as comics, books, magazines].

"We find this particular instance baffling since Saga has contained sexually explicit imagery in previous issues and those were approved, and the same issue [edition 12] is approved for sale within Apple's iBookstore with no issue whatsoever."

Saga writer Brian K. Vaughan said in a blog post: "As has hopefully been clear from the first page of our first issue, Saga is a series for the proverbial 'mature reader.' Unfortunately, because of two postage-stamp sized images of gay sex, Apple is banning tomorrow's Saga #12 from being sold through any iOS apps.

"This is a drag, especially because our book has featured what I would consider much more graphic imagery in the past, but there you go."

One of the offending images (seen here censored by a black box) appeared on the television headset worn by one of the comic's characters.

Richards added that such censorship "is not something I would ever want to see in a free market, so I'm glad that we have alternatives to this single marketplace."

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Comic Publisher 'Baffled' by Apple 'Censorship Problem'