Apple watch keyboard developer put off by app store scammers • Hacker News Board

Re: Apple watch keyboard developer put off by app store scammers

#41

Post by eldelshell » Mon, Feb 01, 2021, 10:18 AM UTC

retSava wrote: post #36

thomaspaulmann wrote: post #22

It’s easy to blame Apple here and to some degree they are responsible for scammers aren’t banned from the App Store. However, why isn’t somebody complaining who got scammed? Don’t they want $400 back? Maybe they do a simple refund and that’s enough for them but there should be some feedback loop to detect scams quickly before they climb the App Store charts.

> there should be some feedback loop to detect scams quickly before they climb the App Store charts. Well, that's the thing, isn't it? The app store (any app store) which has a review process and takes a great cut of revenue, should stand for quality and safety. Here, that's clearly not the case. For another example, see Amazon problems with fake products. Both Apple and Amazon are large enough and have so much money…

I just have given up on Amazon searching for anything because it's filled with utter shit. Between the fake Chinese shit, the mixed product reviews and the "promoted" crap, Amazon's UX is completely broken and has been for years.

Fuck, if any other company would be able the provide their logistics, I wouldn't drop a dime again with them.

Re: Apple watch keyboard developer put off by app store scammers

#42

Post by fxtentacle » Mon, Feb 01, 2021, 10:20 AM UTC

comboy wrote: post #38

fxtentacle wrote: post #31

FYI, in situations like this the best way is to: 1. Register your videos and images with the USCO. It'll cost 2. You can now file DMCA takedowns. Send one to Apple with the USCO registration ID and a copy of the image and a link to the app in question. 3. Apple will either immediately remove that fake app, or be liable for up to $350k in punitive damages for wilful infringement and lose all DMCA protection. 4. If App…

Some people want to create great, useful apps. That's what they want to do. They are willing to give away half of their earnings to different 3rd parties to just not deal with the bullshit. It's unlikely to be their full time job. They probably don't make that much money on it, cloning happens just when the app begins to make any reasonable profit. So dealing with all your described is just not practical. Time is val…

I fully agree, except for the subscriptions. I'd say subscription and in-app purchase are the only ways that building apps can be financially viable. A one-time $1 per user is just too little. But at $10+ you'll be crushed by low cost competition. So I believe it is generally impossible to fund high quality apps with a one time purchase on the app store.

But what's the solution against copycats? I believe we should hold app stores responsible for counterfeit goods, the same way we'd punish Walmart for selling Chinese fakes. But then again, we kind of stopped enforcing that rule, too, as you can see with Amazon.

So effectively, the US has become the wild west for counterfeit products and copyright infringing apps.. Except, of course, if you're the movie industry.

Re: Apple watch keyboard developer put off by app store scammers

#43

Post by Nextgrid » Mon, Feb 01, 2021, 10:20 AM UTC

lloeki wrote: post #34

jansan wrote: post #3

What is the worst those scammers have to fear? Having their app banned from the App store? If so, this sounds like a very unethical, but amost risk free business model.

Theoretically, having their Apple-issued dev certificate revoked (IIUC which bans all apps tied to that certificate) and Apple dev account closed. But I guess these folks have contingencies to create new dev accounts that look unrelated and still come out net positive of the dev account cost quickly.

Creating dev accounts with fraud is super easy. Apple has no way to verify whatever documents they ask for proving your/your company's identity are authentic.

Re: Apple watch keyboard developer put off by app store scammers

#44

Post by risyachka » Mon, Feb 01, 2021, 10:22 AM UTC

Google does exactly the same. My apps have been cloned or copied many times, with my exact icon or screenshots.

It's cute that they have a report button that doesn't work. You can send a billion reports - they not ones have taken the app down.

Re: Apple watch keyboard developer put off by app store scammers

#45

Post by risyachka » Mon, Feb 01, 2021, 10:22 AM UTC

fxtentacle wrote: post #31

FYI, in situations like this the best way is to: 1. Register your videos and images with the USCO. It'll cost 2. You can now file DMCA takedowns. Send one to Apple with the USCO registration ID and a copy of the image and a link to the app in question. 3. Apple will either immediately remove that fake app, or be liable for up to $350k in punitive damages for wilful infringement and lose all DMCA protection. 4. If App…

Can I register with USCO if I am not from the US?

Re: Apple watch keyboard developer put off by app store scammers

#46

Post by arp242 » Mon, Feb 01, 2021, 10:27 AM UTC

dariosalvi78 wrote: post #24

speedgoose wrote: post #4

Meanwhile Apple block our iOS app update because we dare mentioning Android somewhere.

hehehe happened to me as well! you can scam people as much as you want, but do not dare to mention any competitor or you're out

I guess that it's easy to "grep -r Android" these kind of things, whereas you can't really "grep -r is_scam".

From what I've been told, they don't even run the apps during the review ("review").

Re: Apple watch keyboard developer put off by app store scammers

#47

Post by paxys » Mon, Feb 01, 2021, 10:28 AM UTC

It's funny that these scam apps and fake reviews can exist in the app store en masse, while everyone on forums like this one will praise Apple for every heavy-handed decision against legitimate apps (which coincidentally were all in Apple's own interests) because hey the walled garden keeps us safe.

Re: Apple watch keyboard developer put off by app store scammers

#48

Post by gambiting » Mon, Feb 01, 2021, 10:30 AM UTC

fxtentacle wrote: post #31

FYI, in situations like this the best way is to: 1. Register your videos and images with the USCO. It'll cost 2. You can now file DMCA takedowns. Send one to Apple with the USCO registration ID and a copy of the image and a link to the app in question. 3. Apple will either immediately remove that fake app, or be liable for up to $350k in punitive damages for wilful infringement and lose all DMCA protection. 4. If App…

None of this works if you're not American.

Re: Apple watch keyboard developer put off by app store scammers

#49

Post by saagarjha » Mon, Feb 01, 2021, 10:30 AM UTC

arp242 wrote: post #46

dariosalvi78 wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

hehehe happened to me as well! you can scam people as much as you want, but do not dare to mention any competitor or you're out

I guess that it's easy to "grep -r Android" these kind of things, whereas you can't really "grep -r is_scam". From what I've been told, they don't even run the apps during the review ("review").

They do, just not consistently.

Re: Apple watch keyboard developer put off by app store scammers

#50

Post by SXX » Mon, Feb 01, 2021, 10:30 AM UTC

Nextgrid wrote: post #43

lloeki wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Theoretically, having their Apple-issued dev certificate revoked (IIUC which bans all apps tied to that certificate) and Apple dev account closed. But I guess these folks have contingencies to create new dev accounts that look unrelated and still come out net positive of the dev account cost quickly.

Creating dev accounts with fraud is super easy. Apple has no way to verify whatever documents they ask for proving your/your company's identity are authentic.

But Apple still have to pay you, right? Wouldn't it be suspicious if payment details doesn't match?