This happened to me recently, and it seems to be a very large scale problem on the app store. In my case there were three different copies of my app (UX Write) on the app store, under the names "Document Master", "Word Touch", and "Word to Go".
The only reason I found out about them was that in all three cases, there had been some extra resource files included for some unknown reason (likely from another app), which for a very obscure reason were causing the app to crash. I was receiving hundreds of emails containing crash logs and noticed that the process name was different, which is what tipped me off. The fact that all three had the same set of extra files (and all said "Document master" in the modified documentation file) suggested it was either three developers working together, or one developer with three separate accounts.
I found it extremely difficult to get this problem addressed. I contacted Apple and was asked to fill out a form on their website about the apps, and then their legal team just sent an email to the other "developers" asking if they owned copyright. None of the developers responded, and the legal team did nothing. Several more phone calls to the developer relations team left the problem unresolved.
I only managed to get the copies taken down eventually when I was at WWDC and took the opportunity to meet in person with two representatives from the app store team and show them the original & copies. They immediately recognised it was a clear-cut case, and removed the infringing apps within a couple of days.
I think there are some very straightforward technical solutions to this - the submission process could take hashes of all files in a new upload and check them for matches in a database of hashes of all files from all apps, with any matching apps flagged for further inspection. It amazes me this isn't done, especially given the reputation the app store has for being strict about political/sexual content etc. I've seen a ton of copied apps on the store; it's just ridiculous.
Serve DMCA infringement notices on Apple for the offending apps. The apps will certainly be removed. You shouldn't expect their legal department to respond to non-legal correspondence.
edit: not to downplay the egregiousness here. just my advice if you want this "fixed"
Per this comment: " I've been dealing unsuccessfully to try to get those removed; however as of today it's been taken up another level..."
Jon I know you're reading, read this : http://www.apple.com/legal/contact/includes/copyright-agent.... which will get the offending apps taken down (or you can hire a lawyer to sue Apple, which should be easy because lawyers love to sue companies with billions of dollars in the bank)
Since these folks are often "related" in that the developers that use these sorts of tactics to make a quick buck are related, if you are persistent they will get the message that your apps are a pain to copy and generally will stop, although you may find it useful to retain a law firm to go after them on your behalf.
This really bothers me. I've been fine with Apple's "Walled Garden" App Store approach, because I do believe it offers consumers an amount of safety when buying apps.
Anecdotally, I tell friends and family who are new to their iPhone (or Mac, iPad), that they don't need anti-virus, certainly not on their iPhone. They don't need to worry about downloading bad apps from the App Store, Apple doesn't let anything bad in (Android has a history of malware in its app store). It's what they expect from owning an Apple device.
I really don't want to have to start telling them, "Careful, you could be downloading a fake app" anytime soon. I believe Apple should work harder to stop apps like these from getting into the store - it's much better for developers and consumers.
I did some contracting at a place last year, while there the competition released a complete clone (as in identical) of the companies app. While we where having a laugh at how similar it was we noticed expanded the app store description and it was copied verbatim from the place I was at, which comically included links through to the support area, contact information via telephone, brand names etc...
I'm not sure what the follow up was as I was only there a few weeks, but its shocking how lazy people can be when cloning something.
Hm, if I were to pirate your software, I'd much rather direct any support requests to you than deal with them myself. As long as I get the app store revenue, that's all that matters. Don't you think that's all they care about?
You'd think the review process would catch this. But then I guess I should remember who apple does the reviews for. Not for customers, not for developers, but for apple.
I think Apple tries to avoid being involved too much in policing other people's IP. It can be a very messy situation with licensing and such. They tend to approve it then take it down if they get complaints.
I've had an in-app purchase (newsstand magazine issue) rejected because the supplied screenshot didn't match. At times they can be a tad overzealous and the opposite is also true. End of the day, the App review team is made up of humans.
I'm curious how one would reverse engineer and acquire the source code? Not looking to do anything illegal, just wondering what goes into making such duplicate apps.
They use a jailbroken device to obtain a decrypted copy of the application binary, then re-sign it with their own developer certificate, and submit. There's no recompilation needed.
Apple apps are basically just a special folder that contain a combination of compiled files and uncompiled "resources" which can include images and even some of the config files.
You can easily browse any native app on a Mac by just ctrl+clicking it and selecting "show package contents"
These cloners are just replacing image files and changing some text in config files which requires almost zero programming or reverse engineering skill.
You don't need the code. You just change some strings in the binary/bundle (if you're fancy), sign it with your certificate and upload to the app store.
As of this morning, the first app mentioned in my blog post is no longer available for purchase, and the second application is now only for sale in Egypt.
It also applies to desktop software. This problem has been known since the good old shareware days.
Sending an DMCA complaint to Apple/Google has at least the potential to be successful. Trying to take down a web site in Russia or China that is selling your software is another story.
Nope, the worst nightmare is being kicked off the store, so you can no longer make any money. Rit has happened to me before, for submitting too many apps.
This is a problem that isn't unique to a few outlier developers. This happens frequently. A word processor that I love to death, Bean, has several identical ripoff apps based on its code on the Mac App Store by a "developer" by the name of Weiwei Zhang.
The "developer" also has the audacity to charge nineteen dollars for that particular application. Disgusting.
Sometimes I wonder why people dread so much Apple approval process... I never got rejected.
Also, beside that, people also clone stuff NOT in the iTunes, and I mean clone by literally get someone app for other platform, reverse engineer it, and compile again for iOS and launch it as it was their own (even if controls end being shit).
[+] [-] peterkelly|12 years ago|reply
The only reason I found out about them was that in all three cases, there had been some extra resource files included for some unknown reason (likely from another app), which for a very obscure reason were causing the app to crash. I was receiving hundreds of emails containing crash logs and noticed that the process name was different, which is what tipped me off. The fact that all three had the same set of extra files (and all said "Document master" in the modified documentation file) suggested it was either three developers working together, or one developer with three separate accounts.
I found it extremely difficult to get this problem addressed. I contacted Apple and was asked to fill out a form on their website about the apps, and then their legal team just sent an email to the other "developers" asking if they owned copyright. None of the developers responded, and the legal team did nothing. Several more phone calls to the developer relations team left the problem unresolved.
I only managed to get the copies taken down eventually when I was at WWDC and took the opportunity to meet in person with two representatives from the app store team and show them the original & copies. They immediately recognised it was a clear-cut case, and removed the infringing apps within a couple of days.
I think there are some very straightforward technical solutions to this - the submission process could take hashes of all files in a new upload and check them for matches in a database of hashes of all files from all apps, with any matching apps flagged for further inspection. It amazes me this isn't done, especially given the reputation the app store has for being strict about political/sexual content etc. I've seen a ton of copied apps on the store; it's just ridiculous.
[+] [-] dalore|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] RyJones|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mh-|12 years ago|reply
edit: not to downplay the egregiousness here. just my advice if you want this "fixed"
[+] [-] ChuckMcM|12 years ago|reply
Jon I know you're reading, read this : http://www.apple.com/legal/contact/includes/copyright-agent.... which will get the offending apps taken down (or you can hire a lawyer to sue Apple, which should be easy because lawyers love to sue companies with billions of dollars in the bank)
Since these folks are often "related" in that the developers that use these sorts of tactics to make a quick buck are related, if you are persistent they will get the message that your apps are a pain to copy and generally will stop, although you may find it useful to retain a law firm to go after them on your behalf.
[+] [-] drewcrawford|12 years ago|reply
While I would also suggest the DMCA route, I can tell you that you will experience the exact same effect (no obvious response) observed by the OP.
[+] [-] Ethan_Mick|12 years ago|reply
Anecdotally, I tell friends and family who are new to their iPhone (or Mac, iPad), that they don't need anti-virus, certainly not on their iPhone. They don't need to worry about downloading bad apps from the App Store, Apple doesn't let anything bad in (Android has a history of malware in its app store). It's what they expect from owning an Apple device.
I really don't want to have to start telling them, "Careful, you could be downloading a fake app" anytime soon. I believe Apple should work harder to stop apps like these from getting into the store - it's much better for developers and consumers.
[+] [-] oneweekwonder|12 years ago|reply
At that scale they can not "guarantee" safety. The same goes for any other application store, that works at the scale.
Some of the checking the submitter did could easily be automated and flag a user if there is a possibility.
But they "must" be using some tech like that, I hope?
[1]: http://148apps.biz/app-store-metrics/?mpage=submission
[+] [-] rjd|12 years ago|reply
I'm not sure what the follow up was as I was only there a few weeks, but its shocking how lazy people can be when cloning something.
[+] [-] nisse72|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] chj|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] thejosh|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] waps|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] smackfu|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] navs|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] LordIllidan|12 years ago|reply
It's in Apple's best interest to project a quality image in the AppStore. Quality over quantity.
[+] [-] navs|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] peterkelly|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jakejake|12 years ago|reply
You can easily browse any native app on a Mac by just ctrl+clicking it and selecting "show package contents"
These cloners are just replacing image files and changing some text in config files which requires almost zero programming or reverse engineering skill.
[+] [-] kybernetyk|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ipodize|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] unknown|12 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] jonlipsky|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] navs|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] philthesong|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] kybernetyk|12 years ago|reply
Sending an DMCA complaint to Apple/Google has at least the potential to be successful. Trying to take down a web site in Russia or China that is selling your software is another story.
[+] [-] megablast|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] kunai|12 years ago|reply
The "developer" also has the audacity to charge nineteen dollars for that particular application. Disgusting.
[+] [-] unknown|12 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] speeder|12 years ago|reply
Also, beside that, people also clone stuff NOT in the iTunes, and I mean clone by literally get someone app for other platform, reverse engineer it, and compile again for iOS and launch it as it was their own (even if controls end being shit).
[+] [-] wahnfrieden|12 years ago|reply