Apple has rejected as "potentially offensive" an iPhone application that would have shown clips from South Park, the irreverent TV cartoon known for its scathing social commentary.

South Park Digital Studios announced in October that it had submitted the application to Apple. The show's creators had hoped the application, which provides easy access to content from the show, would be offered through Apple's popular App Store.

The studio said the application was rejected after a couple of attempts at getting approval. "According to Apple, the content was 'potentially offensive,'" the studio said Tuesday in its blog.

Apple, however, did seem to leave open the possibility that the application could get approval in the future. The consumer electronics maker told the studio "standards would evolve." When Apple launched iTunes, for example, it didn't sell music with explicit lyrics.

But for now, no South Park app. "At this point, we are sad to say, the app is dead in the water," the studio said. "Sorry, South Park fans."

Apple in January reported that iPhone and iPod Touch users had downloaded more than 500 million applications from the App Store in about six months. The feat was impressive, given that it took the iTunes Music Store more than two years to hit that mark.

Apple offers more than 15,000 applications on the store. The success of the business is attributed to the popularity of Apple's touch-screen devices, as well as the company's ability to leverage its iTunes juggernaut.

Apple's success has sparked copycat stores from rivals, including Research In Motion, Microsoft, Samsung, and Nokia.

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