Developers apology blog is at An Apology – Charlie Monroe
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This apology is enough for me. He apologized, owned it, and removed that bit of code. He’s still one of the best Mac devs, IMO.
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It sounded sincere and heartfelt to me
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In an age when people generally seem to be unable to make a proper apology or take responsibility in public (‘sorry for any hurt that was caused’ 
), Charlie’s apology goes a long way with me. He has admitted what he did wrong, taken responsibility, and made a genuine apology.
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I agree. Unlike most pro forma apologies that say something like, “I apologize if I offended you …”, which is not an apology at all, his was authentic in word and tone. I can’t judge his heart in the matter, but I’m going to take his word for it and keep Downie. I think given the apology, he deserves the benefit of the doubt. After all, when was the last time Google, FB, or other tech company ever offer such an unqualified apology for their abuses?
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Since I have created this thread, let me say that I am happy with the way the developer has approached this and with the way his apology is written. I’m in communications & PR as my primary line of work, so I may be more critical of how issues like these are handled in public, but his timely response and apology seem genuine.
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Sometimes some of us are genuinely apologetic but may use the wrong words to convey it.
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I don’t dispute that at all; I’m sure that is the case. My wife would probably make that argument about my apologies! 
However, I find many apologies, especially those composed by PR firms and political consultants, seldom admit actual wrongdoing but merely acknowledge that their actions or words may have offended someone. This form of apology is about the effect–the “offense” that was taken, not the original wrong. This is not an apology for doing something wrong; it is an “apology” for inadvertently offending someone’s sensibilities; it is a sophistic PR response. If no offense had been taken, there would not have been an apology.
My point is that Charlie’s apology focused on the actual wrong, not that others were offended by his words and actions, though that is included. 
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Your comment gives me hope for PR consultants! I sounds like you would advise a client to make a “real” apology.
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Did he offer a promo code: APOLOGY ? if so, I might check it out. 
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I, too, am grateful for his apology and my heartfelt sympathies for the hardships he endured as a result of software piracy. We all expect compensation for our hard work. While his actions were definitely questionable, if not unethical, software piracy is far worse and costly for us all.
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