Apple watch keyboard developer put off by app store scammers
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Re: Apple watch keyboard developer put off by app store scammers
#2[deleted]
Re: Apple watch keyboard developer put off by app store scammers
#3What 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.
Re: Apple watch keyboard developer put off by app store scammers
#4Meanwhile Apple block our iOS app update because we dare mentioning Android somewhere.
Re: Apple watch keyboard developer put off by app store scammers
#5Oh my god, they don't even bother implementing the app any more...
It reminds me of my first App Store experience. I made an app that was somewhat successful (about 2000€ a month, enough to pay for a students living expenses).
Within short time, a chinese speaking developer cloned it. They copied the icon (slighlty different color), they copied the UI, they even copied all the text in the dialog boxes. They released the app with a slightly different name.
I contacted Apple to complain about the obvious copyright infringement, but they only forwarded my complaint to the developer. Interestingly enough, the developer actually replied to me. They sent an email threating legal action. I asked them to at least change the icon, and they did. But until today, the rest of the cloned app is still on the app store and competes with my app.
It's not comparable to your case, since in my case the competitor wasn't a scammer, just someone with a very lose interpretation of intellectual property.
But it makes me feel that Apple really doesn't give a shit what goes on in their store, as long as they make their 30%. (or 15% from small fish like me now)
Re: Apple watch keyboard developer put off by app store scammers
#6I think it's time for freelance developers to behave like companies. Write big tech support once, wait a week and if the issue isn't solved, contact a lawyer and let them handle it. Otherwise you will be eternally bouncing around customer support departments until you write a tweet in the hope of getting noticed by somebody afraid of a PR disaster.
Re: Apple watch keyboard developer put off by app store scammers
#7Apple seems to be far more concerned with getting their (30/15) percent cut than with how that revenue was generated. The App Store is full of such examples. As long as you pay the baron his share and don’t upset him with unwelcome thoughts (Parler) or worldly desires (erotica), you are free to reign.
Re: Apple watch keyboard developer put off by app store scammers
#8I never understood the App Store rating figures. Here's the scam app:
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/keywatch-watch-keyboard/id1499...
Apparently the paid for 5 stars comments have been deleted, all that's left are comments in the 1 star range but the app is still rated 4.1/5. It's not the first time I see this discrepancy and makes it very hard for a user to understand who to believe: the 1 star comments or the very positive rating average?
Re: Apple watch keyboard developer put off by app store scammers
#9"But I like Apple's walled garden because they verify and quality check everything on there"
Re: Apple watch keyboard developer put off by app store scammers
#10Oh my god, they don't even bother implementing the app any more... It reminds me of my first App Store experience. I made an app that was somewhat successful (about 2000€ a month, enough to pay for a students living expenses). Within short time, a chinese speaking developer cloned it. They copied the icon (slighlty different color), they copied the UI, they even copied all the text in the dialog boxes. They released…
Sorry for your experience.
Its a very difficult situation. However the issue is if Apple takes a view, they open themselves up to legal risk - they are not the court so its not their place to determine copyright infrigement. Rather, if you get a court order stating infringement, then Apple has to take down the offending app.
Whilst yours may be a clear cut case, it is not too difficult to think of examples where it is not copyright infringement or is very difficult to prove - is Signal an infrigement of Whatsapp?
I don't think Apple could have done anything differently, to some extent it is your word vs. theirs and the right medium to settle the dispute is the legal system, not Apple.