"We had a temporary issue that began yesterday with a server that generated DRM code for some apps being downloaded," Apple in a statement on Thursday.

Apple claims that the issue only affected a small number of users, who will be able to re-download problematic apps from the App Store. "The issue has been rectified and we don't expect it to occur again," Apple said.

Interestingly, sources told Macworld that Apple will be removing one-star app reviews developers earned unfairly because of the company's server issue.

Among the apps that were affected by the problem were Instapaper and Angry Birds Space HD Free, big names that Apple would be unable to ignore for long. It wasn't just iOS apps that were affected by the problem either; several Mac apps were also suffering from the glitch.