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
Search results for
copycat
132 results found
Selecting any option will automatically load the page
Post
Replies
Boosts
Views
Activity
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
Tags:
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
Tags:
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 ?
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
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
Tags:
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
Tags:
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
Hello, In my application I am using OpenAI's API to fetch responses inside my application. When I submit apple review they only give me this information for what is wrong with the application. Your metadata appears to contain third party content. Specifically, the app leverages OpenAI. The next submission of this app may require a longer review time. So, I would assume from this response I would not need to submit anything else. I have resubmitted and they gave me the same response. I have asked them what else I would need to add to the application, but they respond with: 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. I am going to try asking for more guidance for what extra I need to submit. But has anyone received issues with using API's? and how did you resolve this issue in App Store Review? Thanks in advance, Chri
Topic:
App Store Distribution & Marketing
SubTopic:
App Store Connect
Tags:
App Review
App Store Connect
Hello everybody, I was wondering how is that possible that the app Weather Pro from Luni (https://apps.apple.com/bb/app/weather-by-luni/id1137406490) can be the exact same app than the Weather app from Apple ? It's the same design, with some added features. Maybe Apple copied Luni, or the opposite, but according to 4.1 of Apple guidelines, I thought this would fall into copycat ? Thank you for any possible explanation.
I was hoping for a more reasonable answer, something constructive. Not unverified assumptions. It appear that Apple Weather app does have a design patent for the search city menu. As this one was registered late 2021, I am trying to understand why Apple would fill such a design patent when they have an anti-copycat guideline. Aren’t apps design protected by copyright or trade dress ? So, in the hope of a possible answer, I would ask it differently. Can someone release a weather app with the same design as the Apple Weather app ? As a picture says much more, I add a screen of the 2 apps I mention in my first post. Try to guess which one is Apple one. I’ll end by mentioning that there are plenty of weather apps in the App Store. All of them have different designs. So why one would simply copy the look and feel of another app ? Unless Apple and Luni have an agreement, I do not understand.
Topic:
App Store Distribution & Marketing
SubTopic:
General
Tags:
Thanks for the links and sorry to haven't followed up quicker. I think I've not been able to explain what I expect to achieve (or even if it ever will be possible), I hope this time I will. I understand that swift concurrency actors/Tasks are not in the same conceptual world than Runloops/Threads. What I would expect to be able to do is to replace the Runloop code with something equivalent to RunLoop.current.run(until: Date()) but in Tasks/Actors world. await MainActor.run(forInterval: 0.1) Or even better, what I would really like to achieve is to replace that piece of code (that Runloop snippet that I've copycat from some people unit tests code) that tries to force UI events processing.
Topic:
Developer Tools & Services
SubTopic:
Xcode
Tags:
If they think it is a copycat app, they will know best based on automated metrics.
Topic:
App Store Distribution & Marketing
SubTopic:
App Review
Tags:
If you mean an app that is similar to an app Apple already offers, such as a reminder app, then sure. But please keep in mind that you cannot simply copy Apple's Reminders (or any of their apps) or other apps on the App Store, and tweak it a bit, then publish that. Per the App Store Submission Guideline: 4.1 Copycats Come up with your own ideas. We know you have them, so make yours come to life. Don’t simply copy the latest popular app on the App Store, or make some minor changes to another app’s name or UI and pass it off as your own. In addition to risking an intellectual property infringement claim, it makes the App Store harder to navigate and just isn’t fair to your fellow developers. So simply put, do not copy an existing app with minimal changes, have one or two exclusive features that really make it appealing to users of other reminder apps, for example. Hope this helps. Best of luck!
Topic:
Community
SubTopic:
Swift Student Challenge
Tags: