We've had a very successful iPhone app on the market for the past 2.5 years. We've been planning on releasing an Android version within the next 4-6 months. However, today we found out that somebody in the Android Market has copied our app almost identically. They released it about a month ago. It copies our layout EXACTLY, our functions, our look, even graphics look similar. Now, this isn't a sort of copy, it's almost an identical copy. If it was just 60% of our app that was copied, that's one thing. But it's 99% of our app that's been copied. I'm concerned that our iPhone users who switch to Android will be confused that we made the app, and also that it will hurt our future Android endeavors. So, what can we do about it? Can we send a cease and desist? Are there any laws to protect us?
Ask HN: My app's been copied. What do I do?
1–10 of 16 posts
Re: Ask HN: My app's been copied. What do I do?
#2Do they use your name?
Re: Ask HN: My app's been copied. What do I do?
#3Contact a lawyer. I'm not one, but there are laws that protect you (probably... Do you have any trademarks, patents?). Also, You have intellectual property rights to your app regardless of patents or trademarks. If its a blatant copy, you probably have means for suing them and getting some $$ back.
Again, not a lawyer, I could have said something completely wrong, but as far as I know what I said above correct.
Re: Ask HN: My app's been copied. What do I do?
#4If they used your trademark (registered or not) then they broke the law.
If they wrote an app that looks like yours, most likely they've done nothing wrong. Many apps have only one look. Calculators for example. They all have similar or the exact same buttons, layouts, colors, etc.
Re: Ask HN: My app's been copied. What do I do?
#5Do they use your name?
The name is similar but not exactly the same.
Re: Ask HN: My app's been copied. What do I do?
#6If they used your trademark (registered or not) then they broke the law. If they wrote an app that looks like yours, most likely they've done nothing wrong. Many apps have only one look. Calculators for example. They all have similar or the exact same buttons, layouts, colors, etc.
Trademark is probably your best bet. If they haven't used the name, you're probably out of luck.
You can take it as a badge of honor that someone liked your idea enough to copy you. I've had one of my iphone apps copied, not quite as thoroughly as you say, but enough to know that I inspired them. I say, have at it - if they're making the same kind of money I am from it, it definitely cost them more to make than it's worth. ;-)
Re: Ask HN: My app's been copied. What do I do?
#7Do they use your name?
What's the name of the iPhone App?
Re: Ask HN: My app's been copied. What do I do?
#8Lawyer up if the app is valuable - eg has the potential to make you over 100K, if its worth less than that, send a nastygram and move on to better apps.
Re: Ask HN: My app's been copied. What do I do?
#9I believe having a copyright on your idea is the only way to go. Remember, you can copyright an idea, but not its implementation. But you gotta consult a lawyer.
Re: Ask HN: My app's been copied. What do I do?
#10No advice but my sympathies. That really sucks.
What I would do in your shoes - obfuscate the code if possible, iterate rapidly (nobody can execute like you), and move a lot of logic to the backend where nobody can steal your code.