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Dictionary app auto-posts piracy accusations on users’ Twitter accounts

pocketables.com

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Re: Dictionary app auto-posts piracy accusations on users’ Twitter accounts

#21

Post by gilgoomesh »

If you're an iOS app developer...

The correct way to check if your app has been pirated requires two steps:

1) You must be running on a jailbroken system. Check this by trying to read from outside the sandbox.

2) Check if your app's signature is invalid. Checking this is fairly involved. Look around for code.

If either of these two are false, then you've not been pirated (point (2) will be true when your app is checked by Apple but point (1) will be false).

For Mac App Store apps, only point (2) is required.

The author of the app in the article has only checked point (1) (and additionally checked an irrelevant point by checking for Installous).

Incidentally, the preferred action if you've detected a pirate situation is to exit(173).

Re: Dictionary app auto-posts piracy accusations on users’ Twitter accounts

#22

Post by cobralibre »

It's distressing to see such colossally poor judgment on the part of Enfour. Besides developing the ODE app from TFA, they also produce the American Heritage Dictionary app, which is one of the better if not the best name-brand dictionary app for iOS. I would like to support this app because I don't care to see the professionally edited dictionary go the way of the encyclopedia, but nonsense like this is hard to pardon.

Re: Dictionary app auto-posts piracy accusations on users’ Twitter accounts

#23

Post by mistercow »

smirksirlot wrote: post #10

This is so offensive. I get piracy is an issue, but how did they ever think this would be a legitimate solution? Honestly, just let the quality of your app speak for itself.

From what I understand, piracy on iOS isn't an issue. The only place where it's really significant is China. And there are two points to keep in mind there:

1. Stopping piracy of a single app in China is very unlikely to result in increased sales of that app.

2. There's no Twitter in China.

Re: Dictionary app auto-posts piracy accusations on users’ Twitter accounts

#24

Post by cs702 »

It would be obviously wrong and illegal for a stranger to come into your home, secretly inventory all physical items in your possession, and then impersonate you on, say, a global TV broadcast in which you're wrongly accused of stealing things.

It should also be obviously wrong and illegal for any app secretly to inventory everything in your phone and then impersonate you on a Twitter broadcast in which you're wrongly accused of pirating things.

Evidently, the people who made this dictionary app think it's perfectly legal to do that, and must not see anything wrong with it.

Our laws, regulations, and societal norms have a long way to go before they catch up with technology.

Re: Dictionary app auto-posts piracy accusations on users’ Twitter accounts

#26

Post by gurkendoktor »

smirksirlot wrote: post #10

This is so offensive. I get piracy is an issue, but how did they ever think this would be a legitimate solution? Honestly, just let the quality of your app speak for itself.

I suspect that piracy works along the line of "product quality" / "ease of pirating a product". $50 apps and most eBooks have it a lot harder than $1 songs, even if their quality relative to their genre is the same.

Re: Dictionary app auto-posts piracy accusations on users’ Twitter accounts

#27

Post by myko »

gilgoomesh wrote: post #21

If you're an iOS app developer... The correct way to check if your app has been pirated requires two steps: 1) You must be running on a jailbroken system. Check this by trying to read from outside the sandbox. 2) Check if your app's signature is invalid. Checking this is fairly involved. Look around for code. If either of these two are false, then you've not been pirated (point (2) will be true when your app is check…

Checking these things wont get you disapproved from the App Store?

Re: Dictionary app auto-posts piracy accusations on users’ Twitter accounts

#28

Post by john78 »

trotsky wrote: post #18

im confused about paying $50 for a dictionary app

They also sell a 99 cent American Heritage Desk dictionary app. They are a Japanese company that's been making apps and accessories since the Newton.

Their website is interesting - http://enfour.com/

Re: Dictionary app auto-posts piracy accusations on users’ Twitter accounts

#29

Post by ErikHuisman »

UnoriginalGuy wrote: post #13

The developers are calling this a "bug." https://twitter.com/keitaigoddess/status/263995697571971072 https://twitter.com/keitaigoddess/status/263995940602535936

They or rather Twitter should revoke their oauth keys. Then push an update to the store with new keys.
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