Few developers, aiming to make some quick bucks out of the App Store, blatantly copied a bunch of popular apps like Tiny Wings, Temple Run and Words with Friends and put it for sale on the store.
A section of users, unsurprisingly, got tricked into buying these apps, expecting them to be the original ones. Some of these apps even started topping charts, which further fueled buying.
Apple has now started pulling these apps off the store, but only after they've done enough damage. These apps sold enough to figure in the top sold charts, despite being negatively reviewed with a very low rating.
(Image via @Treeeezy)
While it's good news that Apple has acted on the issue, what's surprising is the fact that these managed to pass through Apple's "strict" review process. It's not very difficult to point out an app that blatantly rips off a hit like Angry Birds, Temple Run or Tiny Wings.
Presently Apple's app review guidelines do not clearly specify what constitutes a copy of an existing app, but we're very sure that these clone apps are a perfect example. There is however an obvious gray area - is simply copying an idea or cloning the whole app a violation?
TechCrunch suggests crowd sourcing the whole removal mechanism, by letting users flag apps:
The App Store and Android Marketplace are too big to be entirely policed without the help of users. That’s why Apple needs a new predefined option in its “Report A Problem” button shown on App Store apps.
Right now there’s only “This application has a bug”, “This application is offensive”, “My concern is not listed here”, and an open comment field. “This app is a fake version of another app” should be added. Android, Facebook, and other platform owners should ensure they have similar ways to specifically report fakes. But where is the line drawn between copying another app’s gameplay and releasing an out-right fake?
Android is more prone to these sort of problems due to Android Market's relaxed review policies. Case in point: the fake Siri app which proclaimed itself to be the "Official Siri app" for Android and was nothing more than a wrapper for Google's inbuilt "Voice Action" tool.
The App Store isn't alien to scams either. Notorious developers have, time and again, found ways to outwit Apple (or in this case, catch them asleep) and promote their app sales. Be it using special characters to be one of the top search results, or updating a crappy app very frequently so that the ratings are reset, or trading promo codes in favor of positive reviews.
Apple is tackling these issues as they come, but it needs to be more proactive as the very obvious tethering app and the "Process Killer" app should not have been approved in the first place.
What do you think? Sound off in the comments.
Looks like sloppy job in apple regarding filters in the AppStore
What a f*cking losers developers…!
What a f***ing losers developers…!
Dude. VERY witty. Props to you. Lol.
No you who stupid you stupids! lol
Take the money and run
Blatant rip offs and apps that are just scams like the “lockscreen” security apps and also apps that are supposed to prolong your battery. Seems like they don’t even review apps that are submitted. But you could also blame customers who don’t read the reviews or the descriptions/disclaimers.
Man I hate those developers the most, copying epic apps, while the copy is just a scam,
And I don’t blame apple for that, I mean, there is tons of apps that are copy’s of apps like angry birds, infinity blade, tiny wings and so forth. You don’t expect the to browse the app store to find those apps? That would take a long time, and I also don’t think that apple has some kind of software that weeds out copy’s.
Anyone who spends money without reading the reviews is pretty much asking to get taken.
“A fool and his money are easily parted”
Anyone who spends money without reading the reviews is pretty much asking to get taken.
A fool and his money are easily parted
Woah glitch.
I never thought this even happened?
A déjà vu is usually a glitch in the Matrix. It happens when they change something.
I’d wish apple had a more relaxed app store policy like NO REFUNDS………. Bad description sad it was better when you get in it isn’t even half of what you wanted so get the lite version before you buy those really crappy apps
Wish there was more appstores like Cydia without jailbreak or amazon AppStore or installing iPAs without jailbreak dudes it’s coming in ios 5.2