A group of crackers had claimed to have hacked Apple's DRM on Sega's Super Money Ball for the iPhone and many more iPhone games few months back. We never saw that coming as Apple's FairPlay DRM has been used for so many years to protect content sold on iTunes stores.
At that time, we had stated that cracking iPhone apps was crossing the line as we don't condone any type of piracy. But we have some bad news for iPhone developers, cracker by the name ‘Angel’ has released a jailbreak app called Crackulous which strips the copy protection from iPhone apps and render them free for distribution.
As per TorrentFreak, Crackulous, was a project started by a coder named ‘SaladFork’ which was initially available only to few individuals. However, cracker by the name ‘Angel’ took the xCrack script developed by ‘SaladFork’ and created a GUI-based app called Crackulous which is now available on Cydia, the iPhone app that can be used to install apps on your jailbroken iPhone.
This security breach can have a major impact on iPhone developers who were hoping to make make money selling their iPhone apps via the App Store.
We don't condone any such form of piracy, jailbreaking the iPhone to install unofficial iPhone applications was okay, but cracking iPhone apps or installing cracked iPhone apps is crossing the line. If the iPhone Apps can be cracked and available for download for free then iPhone developers would not make as much money and ultimately will not be interested in developing the next killer app for the iPhone platform.
Lets hope for the sake of iPhone developers, Apple addresses this security breach as soon as possible.
What do you think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
[via Wired, TorrentFreak]
I agree that it will have a very negative effect on new app development. I think that apple and developers have their work cut out for them. I hope they consider doing a trial period for new apps to give people a chance to try the app before they but it. I know it will not stop many people from using tools such as this, but it may deter some who would use it just to see I'd they are going to like an app before shelling out money for it.
Do you really condone piracy as you stated twice in the article?
Hey MWH,
The first was in reference to our previous post.
Yeah they probably meant to say something else. Ha ha
I think you meat to say you "don't" condone Piracy
It really is a shame because this will probably mean a real tightening of security with apple and a crack-down on jail breakers D:
Definition of conde from Wiktionary: To forgive, excuse or overlook (something); To allow, accept or permit (something);
Or even "condone"
well, they usually make the "lite" apps to fulfill that purpose.
Hey Folks,
My bad, I have corrected the post. Of course, we don't condone piracy.
Thanks for highlighting the error
Even if the apps don't have lite versions, it doesn't mean they can be cracked.
There is an interesting article over at CNET of how piracy forced an iPhone developer to put ads in his iPhone game:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10142318-83.html
It is actually surprising that Apple did not address the issue when it was first reported by making the copy protection stronger in subsequent firmware updates.
Lets hope Apple addresses this issue soon.
So then just to clarify, in TWO seperate posts iPhoneHacks has indeed said that they do "condone any type of piracy" (as confirmed in response to MWH). Why then do you contradict yourselves in the same post by saying that this was "crossing the line"?
Seriously though, were you hung over when you wrote this or were you intentionaly being vague and contradictory so as to confuse the reader and not have to actually take a direct stance on this issue? hmmm.
Just in case you don't actually understand the meaning of the word condone here it is from dictionary.com
con·done (kən-dōn') Pronunciation Key
tr.v. con·doned, con·don·ing, con·dones
To overlook, forgive, or disregard (an offense) without protest or censure. See Synonyms at forgive
I have a friend who uses installous, which is basically the same thing. I know that he knows it's wrong since it's really the same as stealing. These apps were not meant to be shared and distributed for free at all. Apps like this are going to ruin everything.
Hey dave,
I have just corrected the post.
I believe the title of the post says it all.
Thanks for highlighting the error.
apps are so cheap often too cheap on the iphone lots of developers struggle and there is so much competition this sort of thing could tip a few developers over the edge so they throw the towel in on the iphone
this has been going on for years with mac and PC. what makes iphone so different? I like the idea of this. Why? I recently spent 10 dollars on an app to send and recieve pics on my phone. well I buy the app and I now have to search for 2 weeks just to find the configuration to get it to work, which I and quite a few others have yet to find for our ATT phones. so hey. Now I know that I no longer have to pay for shitty apps. If I like it I will purchase full versions, but for now Im downloading for free
Its unreasonable to crack other iPhone apps and deprive iPhone developers of revenue because you had a bad experience with one iPhone app. There are tons of great iPhone apps.
I think one way to reduce the likelihood of downloading a useless iPhone app is reading reviews on the App Store or various other online resources.
Instead of being accountable for your actions (which was downloading a useless app) you are making some other iPhone developer accountable for it.
Its just wrong!!!
I think that if they wanted to stop people in canada specifically from cracking apps then they should fix the issue with the itunes gift cards. I'm not sure how many of you are aware of this but currently we can only purchase apps by credit card, we cannot use itunes gift cards or paypal. Seeing as how i do not have a credit card ( I believe you should only spend the money you have) it kind of leaves me up shit creak without a paddle. So, you want to stop piracy? stop giving piracy a reason to exist and give everyone equal access to these apps. when they can pay for them they probably will.
I think anyone who puts the time and effort to make a great app and wants to make a little money on the side should be able to without having their work stolen from underneath them.
I think its wrong to copy. but since Apple rejects and Deletes some apps, I believe those are the only ones u should used cracked. Like Netshare,Slasher,and Many more until Apple brings them back to the AppStore.
get a debit card.
no Id rather make everyone else accountable for it. Piracy is an issue with everything not just iphone apps. too bad for the developers.
PS. isnt this an Iphone hack site? What about stealing the money from ATT by showing people how to unlock their phone and not having to use the ATT service?
Piracy in this form is obviously illegal. This gent by the name of Angel may likely face charges of conspiracy, or piracy charges directly. Developers of these Apps have their protection in place already, simply put, if I were a developer and heard of a threat such as this, I would report him to the proper authorities. Charges would more than likely be filed. This isn't the same as creating a audio cassette recorder, the intention of this program is to commit piracy. I can see legal action arising very soon.
Maybe you didn't understand what I was saying, the ONLY way you can purchase apps from the app store in Canada is with a credit card. I don't know if its possible to use your bank account as a direct source of income when buying from itunes in the states but other then that your comments makes no sense at all.
Piracy will always exist in all platforms (XBox, XBox360, PSP, PS1, 2 & 3 to a hacker it's part of life and a thrill to do, Jailbreaking or unlocking your iPhone is not piracy, this is a mobile phone and people want more from it (but this comes with a price for developers), other phones as standard allow you to have full themes installed by default, iPhone don't, the same goes for the Bluetooth profiles, they should all be in place by default I for one am looking forward to the Bluetooth app and will pay for it when released.
I do agree though that the majority of iPhone apps are cheap enough to buy and I have brought a good few apps and will continue to do so. Some should be cheaper for what they are, and some are just totally useless and should be free.
I do have a Jailbroken iPhone 3G and still purchase 3rd party apps for it because they add the features I want for my phone.
And for those who mentioned about the error in the blog, typo's happen and it's down to the reader to let the person know about it.
I completely agree with iPhonehacks on this one. It just makes me think, oh no, we were having such a good run with all the work on jailbreaking working in addition to the app store (I've got loads installed on my phone from Cydia and also the App Store).
I guess now I just hope people have the decency to respect developers and not use this app.
They finally got the price of software right! Let's continue to support the folks writing apps by purchasing through the app store!
It is not against the law to unlock a phone.
It is not against the law to unlock a phone.
People who use this stuff to steal the apps are seriously only going to cause damage. It's just like music, everyone wanted to steal it and rip off the artist so iTunes was created and so many people still "don't want to pay for it when it can be gotten free… Bands are rich anyways"… It's stuff like this that hurts everyone in the end. I have a jailbroken iPhone 3g and I JB it so I could customize it. Not so I could steal from developers and get things for free. I paid $15 for iReal sms because they worked hard and provided something great for the phone. They deserve the cash just as every developer does. So, here's the deal. If you want to rip people off and steal and be a cheap ass in this economy that's already hurting, go get a blackberry or a G1 and ruin those POS's. Don't ruin things for everyone. Read a review, and YOU decide if you want to spend the $$$. If you don't have the cash for it, then you shouldn't have it. But if you can't afford an app for $1.99, you probably shouldn't have an iPhone.
Pay for what you want. You wouldn't want money stolen from you… Right!?
Ok, so I retract my comment about getting a BB or G1. Just pay for your apps. that's the bottom line. And hey iPhoneHacks, can't they just take this crap out of Cydia and at least lower the chances of all of this?!
stop being fags! piracy has always existed and will always exist. For those that download illegal content are the same people that would never have paid for the app to begin with, piracy in some ways can even serve as a "try before buy", I have bought 4 apps in the past that I wasn't too happy about and wished they had "lite" versions.
Cracking apps will NOT jeopardize future app development because people will still buy them if they are good.
Just like people who download music will still go to the artist's concert.
buy a visa or american express gift card.
if your talking about swirlyMMS then at&t would have to enable MMS on the account which they will not do for the iphone service.
try telling them you dont have the iphone anymore and are using a BB or somthing..
yeah i guess everybody needs to relax. piracy has always been around for all the good and bad reasons. it's been part of the deal since we can remember, whether we agree with it or not, so don't act like it's some new sh*t in the garden.
i'm guessing a small price tag on most of apps could be the very reason iphone piracy will be kept in check. that and maybe it will "encourage" developers to release demo versions of their apps (not just some of them). i might be speaking for myself here, but i'm fed up with paying even .99 for apps or games that i test-run and then delete, because they do not deliver. no screenshot or review can substitute for the real thing which is a test drive. i also find it a bit discouraging having to pay for an app and discover two weeks later that the developer had a change of mind and decided to make it permanently free. not that it's a bad thing in itself to go free, it's just that – discouraging.
so, my point here is – it's "business as usual" and iphone could not be any different. what can be hacked or pirated, eventually will be. but you peepz should just chill out! go and support your devs, buy your apps, buy a new hardware – it's really gonna be all right
installous anybody? has been around for a long time
uhhh what? did you even ready my comments?
Id rather not have to go through an application process to buy a 99 cent app that i could possibly use once.
This is true, iTunes does unjustly require a credit card. Makes no sense actually, since usually people ask for a credit card in case you purchase a product and then don't pay, but on iTunes you must pay before you even receive the product, so they could have user accounts without CCs. I think Apple needs to open up iTunes to people that can only pay cash for the gift cards, and don't have a CC to open an account. Apple still makes the same amount of money, and may get more since then Teens would be able to buy gift cards rather than CDs when they go to Target.
The Crackulous App isn't inherently wrong, guys. Just like how Kazaa started out as a way to trade business documents and other open-source items, it all depends on the end user as to whether or not a program is lawful or not. To merely crack the protection on these apps is not unlawful. To do that and use it to steal them without paying in any way IS.
I will personally be using this app to evaluate some apps that don't have "Lite" versions. And, TBH, the whole "Lite" thing annoys the living hell out of me. Instead of offering stripped down functionality, offer a time limited demo. If the jailbreaking community can do this with their apps, the developers for the appstore can certainly do it too. I'm sick of looking at apps that I want to buy, but don't want to risk wasting money on since the reviews are always less then helpful.
THANKS CRACKULOUS!!!!!!!!!!!
I LOVE THE APP!!!! HAHAHA APP STORE SUCKERS!!! LOL!
Im from estonia. Apple not allowed me purchase anything at all at itunes store. That includes mp3 and ofcourse apps. Even more – it does not allowed me even register myself to have and itunes store account. I have no other options than just use cracked apps. I totally dont mind pay some small fees for cool games or apps – but you know the reason why Im using crackulous:)
If you would have read asdf's foolishness above you would notice the response was intended for him. Ohh, and it is creek not creak. Besides that the Visa and American Express gift cards don't require you to go through an application process. You give them money, you are credited on a card that amount. Hence the term gift card
sounds fair enough
If Crackulous becomes a danger to dev teams everywhere, Wouldn't this make apple consider using the apparent 'kill switch' to render the Crackulous app useless.
Personally, i like the fact that apps that are non apple compliant are made available via Cydia & Installer, these sites help make others aware of what the iphone can actually do. As everyone else, my Iphone 3G came tied to Apple, i researched Jailbreaking and went down that route. To rip off someone elses hard work has to be 'soul destroying' for the dev team and I for one intend to stick to appstore, cydia & installer and i'm not afraid to dig into my wages to pay for something that i want/use.
I have bought numerous apps and the ones I've downloaded for free would NEVER have been purchased. I was merely curious and wanted to check them out. This won't adversely effect a developer's ability to succeed in the app store. The percentage of people who jailbreak is too small to impact the revenue stream these developers receive.
Hey RDB!
I am in the same boat, but found a work around, you know where you buy the itunes cards (same place I bought 2 before I realized, no apps were allowed, apps reason was the taxes are not the same, therefore they cant sell applications… bs! )
If you buy a pre-paid mastercard, they come in 25/50/75/100 demoninations and are totally useable on Itunes, so every couple weeks, instead of the dump itunes cards, I pick up a 50 dollar card, best part, if I find something online, I can use the same card, not just for Apps on the Istore!
Best of luck!
Software piracy has existed since the inception of pay software, and while it has an effect on development, such as time invested in antipiracy, it has not stopped software development in the slightest. The most pirated software in the world is developed by one of the largest software developers in the world. And regardless of the fact that a good 70% of their installations are pirated, the continue to make money. Stopping piracy will never happen, the model for traditional commercial software distribution is flawed really. Charge for support, charge for interactive accounts that drive your software makeing it useless to copy it. There are plenty of methods to making money with software without resorting to limiting distribution. Most if my favorite iPhone applications also happen to be free and quite frankly, those companies still make money. If a developers software is being pirated on a level that effect ts the pocket book they need to look at their distribution model, rather than trying to thwart a couple devs for making it easier to get software that could be distributed in a money making manner.
It probably won't affect app sales because only around 2% of iphones are jail broken and probably even lower percent of people who will actually do it