NIN’s Trent Reznor recently received an e-mail from Apple refusing to include the band’s iPhone app, called “NIN: Access,” for downloading from the App Store, saying:

“Applications must not contain any obscene, pornographic, offensive or defamatory content or materials of any kind (text, graphics, images, photographs, etc.), or other content or materials that in Apple’s reasonable judgement may be found objectionable by iPhone or iPod touch users.”

The message, which Reznor posted in a forum on the band’s Web site, goes on to finger the song “The Downward Spiral” for having objectionable content.

But Reznor is the lord and master of NIN.com, which means he always gets the last word. After chastising Apple for not precisely pinpointing what word or words the company found objectionable in “The Downward Spiral,’ he points out iTunes had no problem selling an unedited Downward Spiral CD.

Reznor compares his App Store dilemma to WalMart’s old policy regarding CDs for which the retailer demanded “clean” versions to sell in stores, pointing out the store chain didn’t appear to have any qualms about selling R-rated movies  or violent video games.

” … but you could literally turn around 180 degrees from where the NIN record would be and purchase the film “Scarface” completely uncensored, or buy a copy of Grand Theft Auto where you can be rewarded for beating up prostitutes. How does that make sense?”

Reznor closes his less-than-complimentary shout-out to Apple by urging the company to get its “app approval scenario together.”

Apple has not responded to Reznor’s public complaints about App Store approval. However, “NIN: Access” is currently available as a free download. Do you suppose Steve Jobs is a Nine Inch Nails fan? Maybe that’s why the Apple head always dresses in black.

Click here to read Trent Reznor’s complete post.