If you are a company with multiple brands that offer the same app product, can they all have similar UI? so the colours and font styles may differ but the layout and content are the same. for example, if you are a restaurant company and you own multiple different brands of pizza restaurants, and they all offer the same app for pizza delivery, can they all just have same UI? The section on copycats is not clear on this https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#copycats
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Every time Apple reviews it, they don't properly tell me what's wrong with my app, and they tell me to ask if I have any questions, but when I ask, they don't answer. For example, something like this. Apple rejected it as a copycat with screenshots. So, if I mark the part corresponding to the screenshot with a red square and there is no problem in all parts, if you ask me where is the problem. The return reply is as follows. Hello, The issues we previously identified still need your attention. If you have any questions, we are here to help. Reply to this message in App Store Connect and let us know. Guideline 4.1 - Design - Copycats Your app or its metadata appears to contain misleading content. Specifically, your app still includes content that resembles VPET. Next Steps You may attach documentary evidence in the App Review Information section in App Store Connect. In accordance with section 3.2(f) of the Apple Developer Program License Agreement, you acknowledge that submitting falsified o
It's been rejected eight times now. One reviewer made it clear that the icon of my app was the problem. (Reviewer also captured and attached my icon image.) So I sent a reply that I modified it with the revised design image, and the reviewer even replied as below. Thank you for your reply. We apply your effects to complain with the App Store Review Guidelines, and we look forward to review your submitted app. But they rejected my app in the review with a captured image of my app. I couldn't understand the meaning of the captured image, so I typed a square in all the parts corresponding to the captured image and replied, Which part is the copycat? but there was no answer, and I kept rejecting it as the copycat. Now, without saying exactly what part of it is a copycat, it just repeats, Specifically, your app includes content that resembles VPET. I think I'm talking about an app called VPET, which has already been posted on the App Store, so I replied that VPET, which I'm now posting o
Topic:
App Store Distribution & Marketing
SubTopic:
App Review
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Wait until the copyright expires in 2040ish. Or, ask whoever owns the rights for permission and send the contract to Apple. Or, get an intellectual property lawyer to write an opinion saying you’re not infringing anything and send that to Apple. Fundamentally it sounds like whoever owns the rights to VPET has complained to Apple about copycat apps and now Apple filters them out. There have been a few similar cases. Apple will not attempt to arbitrate, they will just reject everything until there is no mention and no similarity.
Topic:
App Store Distribution & Marketing
SubTopic:
App Review
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My app got rejected earlier this year for 4.1 Design Copycat terms. In fact, it was too similar to another big title. Although I hadn't copied completely there were elements that I replicated way too similar to the original. It was an old Unity course project that I thought it would be great to have on app store as a portfolio. I take the blame here and I was too reckless on the design. However, after that I totally redesigned the gameplay. All the assets are different, the way to control is different. If you look at both games you'll just see it's a total different project. The only thing I inherited is bundle id, the achievements and rankings. This week I resubmitted the app, with a different name, different screenshot and icons and a new Build. However, the app got rejected again as if the new build doesn't even exits. Question: Should I remove this app from App Store Connect and create a new from scratch or should I insist on having a that one approved ?
We are not able to provide feedback on app concepts or features, but we recommend evaluating your app against the App Store Review Guidelines, as well as the iOS Developer Program License Agreement (PLA), and the Human Interface Guidelines. ¿Es el único comentario que hacen los revisores de la Appstore? ¿No dice nada sobre la aplicación, qué hace? Las directrices de la Appstore no son tan largas de leer. Y podrías centrarte en unas pocas: 4.1 Copias: ¿es tu aplicación similar a una ya existente? 4.2 funcionalidad mínima: ¿hace tu aplicación un buen uso de las capacidades de iOS? 4.3 Spam: ¿responde a una necesidad ya cubierta por muchas aplicaciones? 5.6.4 Calidad de la aplicación En tu próximo envío a Appstore, explica al revisor en los comentarios lo que has hecho para solucionar los problemas planteados en las revisiones anteriores. Eso suele ayudar. Is it the only comment made by Appstore reviewers ? You do not tell anything about the app, what it is doing ? Appstore guidelines are not that long to read.
Topic:
App Store Distribution & Marketing
SubTopic:
App Store Connect
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I'm hoping fellow developers will have advice for me as Apple refuses to even acknowledge this issue. My app is Camera Lucida and is a highly rated app that has been continually improved upon since 2010. Another developer fairly recently created an app that is similar in nature, but very, very different and very poorly reviewed. The developer named the app, Camera Lucida ・. The extra dot at the end of the name does not show up on the iOS springboard, settings page and other locations. As a result, I continually am getting support emails from people purchasing this copycat app. This is because my support web page is easily found on the web. This app is very negatively impacting my brand. Apple refuses to do anything about it - even refusing to acknowledge what I'm typing in my support emails. I've even asked them about getting Trademarks, etc. - but because the name wouldn't be exactly duplicated, Apple won't even say if that would work. Does anyone have any suggestions?
You posted a similar message one year ago. Did you contact Developers support at Apple to clarify ? Was the issus solved last year ? Contact Us category should be Notify a problem with App name subcategory. You should also explain the situation on your web page and on the app information on the appstore, warning customers to be cautious. What I don't understand: As a result, I continually am getting support emails from people purchasing this copycat app. How is it ? The copycat cannot have indicated your email !
Topic:
App Store Distribution & Marketing
SubTopic:
General
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I'm looking for a little help understanding what Apple considers a copycat. I've been trying to get my app on the store for over a week but I fear that no matter what I do it will continue to be rejected pursuant to Guideline 4.1. I've at least been able to extract from them that the issue lies in the design of the UI, not the metadata. This app and its metadata appears to be misrepresenting itself as another popular app or game already available on the App Store, from a developer's website or distribution source, or from a third-party platform. Specifically, the app resembles the popular game Wordle. We understand that you have removed metadata related to Wordle. However, the UI still resembles the game very closely. Unfortunately this only confuses me more as there are several Apps on the App store with similar UIs. Here's a screenshot of my app. And here's a screenshot of the App store when I search for wordle. What's the Word? Logic Game is the one that really gets me as it's literally a Wordle c
Hello! I have an app on the Google Play Store called Concept.TF, and I decided to add it to the Apple App Store as well, but it got rejected. The purpose of the app is to create weapon ideas for a game called Team Fortress 2 and share them with your friends, so it is supposed to include Team Fortress 2 content. There are two things that I don't understand: Why was I able to submit the app on the Google Play Store? I understand that there are different rules for different platforms, but being a Copycat seems like a rather broad concept that both platforms would have. And how would I be eligible to use the Team Fortress 2 content on the App Store? Do I need to contact the developers of the game to get a license, etc. I will not link Concept.TF because I am not trying to promote the app, but if you go to the Google Play Store and search for it by name, it will be the first result.
Hi! Our App is 'Mort's Bedtime Stories'. Apple have never approved it, they just keep saying Specifically, your app includes content that resembles Mort's Bedtime Stories. And reject it. Of course it includes content from 'Mort's Bedtime Stories' as it IS 'Mort's Bedtime Stories'. We are Mortis Media, the youtube channel (over 300k subs). This is our App. This is very frustrating as our subscribers funded this app, and it's been ready for weeks, but just keeps getting rejected for copycat. We have submitted documents explaining we ARE Mortis Media, but it makes no difference. Any help would really be appreciated.
Topic:
App Store Distribution & Marketing
SubTopic:
General
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Hi! I'm one of the developers of an open source browser extension startpage named Bonjourr that takes heavy inspiration from iOS' design language. We've been working on it for almost three years and our users love it, but have been since the beginning asking for a Safari version (it's only available for Chrome, Firefox and Edge). That would totally make sense since our target audience is Apple users, but we haven't done it yet. Apple developers accounts are expensive and it wouldn't make financial sense for us. Our users have been very kindly making donations for the last few years, and we're finally at a point where we can afford the Apple developer account (for a year anyway). The problem is that we're nervous about publishing it since our design looks a lot like Apple's (which is the whole point), and we aren't sure if they're gonna like it. We're aware of the 4.1 Copycat part of the App Store guidelines and that will probably be the main problem. However, we feel like our extension is original, f
5.2.1 Generally: Don’t use protected third-party material such as trademarks, copyrighted works, or patented ideas in your app without permission, and don’t include misleading, false, or copycat representations, names, or metadata in your app bundle or developer name. Apps should be submitted by the person or legal entity that owns or has licensed the intellectual property and other relevant rights. reading or legal entity that owns or has licensed the intellectual property and other relevant rights. it seems that there is a possibility of having the right to publish the app even if you are not the owner of the brand but then when the app review blocks it you do not understand how to go forward anyway. Do you have any advice?
First a little context. I recently had an app approved on July 23. On August 1st I tried to submit an updated version that included adding a label to the landing page, adding back navigation items to a few pages, removing some unused images from the resource folder and fixing a static resource reference bug. Now the issue. This update, minor in nature, was rejected with the note that my update resembles my own app. Here's the message: Guideline 4.1 - Design - Copycats Your app or its metadata appears to contain misleading content. Specifically, your app includes content that resembles Healthcare EQ. I did not change anything related to app names, bundles, etc. Just a few UI updates and I'm really struggling to get figure out why it's telling me I'm copying myself. Anyone experience this?
Hello utopie, I am just facing the same issue. I have developed an app for a popular political german news blog. I have their explicit permission to develop it and take their icons and so on for it. I was also rejected with the reference to Guideline 4.1 Copycats. Were you able to solve the problem? Thank you in advamce!
Topic:
App Store Distribution & Marketing
SubTopic:
App Store Connect
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