Propellerhead's ReBirth is no more as Roland claims IP infringement

After 20 years, the 303, 808 and 909 emulator is being discontinued.

Propellerhead’s long-running ReBirth line is coming to an end. An intellectual property infringement claim from Roland means the iPad app will be removed from the App Store for good on June 15.

“We have decided to discontinue ReBirth for iPad,” Propellerhead said on its website. “The decision comes after a statement from Roland that the product infringes on the company’s intellectual property rights.

“Rather than refuting this claim, we have decided to honor our long-standing relationship with Roland Corporation and has, therefore, come to the conclusion that the best path forward is to discontinue the product.”

Launched in 1996 for desktop computers, ReBirth gave producers software emulations of Roland’s TB-303 synth along with virtual replicas of the iconic TR-808 and TR-909 drum machines.

The PC and Mac version was discontinued in 2005, but it found new life as an iOS app in 2010. While that version was removed from the App Store in 2013, the iPad version has remained available for purchase until now.

While Roland has previously been happy to let products such as ReBirth exist, the company has been more committed to protecting its intellectual property in recent years. As well as shutting down ReBirth, it recently requested the removal of a not-for-profit browser version of the TR-909 drum machine.

The reason for this is probably because Roland has recently reissued the 303 and 909 (as well as other classic synths), and unauthorized versions of its classic synths damage its intellectual property and profits.

If you want to get your hands on ReBirth for iPad, it’s still available until June 15 from the App Store for $14.99.