Start-up DoubleTwist makes software designed to help users of devices other than Apple products, such as BlackBerry and Android phones, to organize and keep track of their music. Starting immediately, the DoubleTwist software will now let people buy music files from Amazon’s MP3 store in a more seamless fashion that replicates the iTunes experience by essentially integrating the Amazon store right into their software.

After signing into their Amazon accounts, people will now be able to browse songs, listen to previews and buy songs with just a few clicks. Sometimes Amazon is even cheaper than iTunes. For example, Lady Gaga’s “The Fame Monster” album costs $5 on Amazon, but $7.99 on iTunes (where it also comes with an extra remix song and digital booklet).

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To recap: the ad was designed to promote music-management software offered by doubleTwist, a startup formed by Johansen (known as “DVD Jon” for breaking the copy protection on DVDs). The company arranged to have the ad posted on a glass façade next to a stairway leading to the subway operated by Bay Area Rapid Transit, better known as BART. From some angles, the location made it seem like the ad was on the wall of Apple’s retail store.

The ad first went up June 5, three days before Apple’s closely watched developer conference (where this year the company unveiled a new iPhone and Mac laptops). But it was removed before the show; Johansen said that he was told that BART objected because it was too dark, blocking light from the stairway.

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“BART’s excuse for ripping down the ad was that it was ‘too dark’ and not letting through enough light into the BART exit. However, we have pictures that show there was plenty of light coming through the ad (the ad is printed on a clear plastic material). We then submitted the following revised ad with a white background. A white ad would have let even more light through. However, it was rejected for having a solid white background (!). At the ad agency’s request, we then made the background completely transparent. After complying with all their requests to change the ad, we still haven’t been given a firm date on when the ad will be back up. Apple is a major BART advertiser (in the past they’ve plastered entire BART stations with iPod ads). Apple’s WWDC conference ends on Friday. It’s pretty obvious what’s going on here. I’m sure our ad will conveniently be back up after WWDC ends.”

— DoubleTwist co-founder Jon Lech Johansen on the mysterious disappearance of the “Cure for iPhone Envy” ad his company managed to have placed outside Apple’s San Francisco store