Back when Apple first launched the iPhone in June 2007, there were only a hand full of applications, these came pre-installed on the phone.

It's now been just over a year since the release of the SDK and we've seen ~65,000 applications hit the iTunes App Store, granted, most of these aren't worth downloading, but the 1% that make up the majority of downloads are what drive momentum for the platform.

I regularly check for updates to my library, probably more often than I should, but that comes part-and-parcel of being a geek.

It wasn't until today that I noticed something strange while I was putting together a list of applications that I have yet to review, I came across 'Critter Crunch', of the first iPhone applications I downloaded.

So, naturally I went to the App Store to rate the latest version, but according to Apple, I hadn't purchased the app, meaning I was restricted from submitting a review. That seems a little strange, considering that 'Critter Crunch' is sitting on my iPhone as I type up this post.

Knowing my way around the App store, I pretty much knew why iTunes thought I hadn't purchased this app.

Technically speaking, I haven't purchased 'Critter Crunch', from it's current owner anyway. Because you see, this applications, along with a few other note worth sales, such as 'Where To?' was purchase by another development company.

That in itself wouldn't be a big deal, but it's the fact that I'm no longer entitled to updates, which grates on me. If you're going to develop an application with the intention of selling it, the least you can do is protect your customers for future updates.

OK, so I don't know the circumstance surrounding this particular purchase, but the short and curlies of it come down to Capybara Games selling the rights for distribution to Starwave Mobile. I mean come on guys, it's not a lot of money, but there are certain expectations. I have no intention of repurchasing the same application, just for future updates.

If you've had this experience with another application on the App store, or have something to add? Sound off in the comments.