What is a third-party product?

  • Last Modified: March 03, 2005
  • Article: TA22825
  • Old Article: 300662

Products Affected

Mac OS X 10.3, Mac OS X 10.2, Mac OS X 10.0

You might come across the phrase "third-party product" in some Apple documentation, but do you find yourself wondering, "What does that mean?"

A third-party product refers to a product that's produced by a company other than Apple. Usually, third-party products are supported by the company that made them (just like we here at Apple support the products we make). For that reason, if you need help with a third-party product, contact the company who made the product instead of Apple. Do note that Apple does support some third-party products that come with an Apple computer.

So who are the first and second party?

Technically speaking, Apple is the "first party," but that's not really a common phrase. The second party usually refers to the product's user—that would be you!

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