Hard as they try, the little guy still can’t pull one past Apple. TapJoy, an app-based startup that allows companies to pay-per-install, announced yesterday that it is putting a limit on the number of installs each user can make, MocoNews reports. ^[1] TapJoy serves app developers looking to gain popularity by boosting their rankings in the App Store ^[2]‘s lists of top applications, the only real way to gain recognition in Apple’s discovery system.

Apple, not happy with the manipulation of their system or having their discovery weaknesses exposed, began rejecting updates to applications that use such marketing programs last week. TapJoy is likely changing its tune now to avoid a similar fate. While it would probably serve Apple well to fix the glitches in app rankings rather than stamp out companies capitalizing on them, Apple won’t loosen its grip on the app empire anytime soon. Read more from MocaNews.net ^[1].