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Reply to iOS App Store app copycats during delayed release/beta testing

Apple will allow an app with a slightly different name and similar function. The fight is between you and that “copycat”. Apple will facilitate a communication between them and you but you need to assert either contract or ip law to get them to stop. Do you have a trademark on the name that is damaged by their use of a similar name?; Do you have any patents on inventions necessary for the app to function?; Did they agree to not copy the idea before you included them in TestFlight? If not, your only hope is that they don’t and you can outperform or outmarket them.

App Store Distribution & Marketing General

Jan ’18

Reply to Rejected - Guideline 4.2 - Minimal functionality

I would disagree with KMT on his first reply. If Apple felt your app was too similar to existing apps that would have rejected it with 4.1 Copycats. I would just keep following up with them. It might not be clear to the reviewer that there are multiple levels depending how the user progresses through the game. I had 4.2 rejection for a simple utility app and I just kept adding features until they finally approved it.

App Store Distribution & Marketing App Review

Jun ’18

Reply to CopyCat Rejection - what documents are required to verify that the app is mine?

if I am a solo developer with every right to my own app. I don't think that's the point. You could be a solo developer, having fully developed the app but have designed it very similar to another app. Or your app name or visual appear too similar to an existing app. The fact that it is on another store does not matter for the reviewer. Have you searched the appstore for such similar app ? Once you have found you could either modify your app or try to explain to reviewer why it is not copycat (more difficult).

App Store Distribution & Marketing General

Apr ’24

Reply to If the standards are different every time you review, is there such a thing as a standard?

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.

App Store Distribution & Marketing App Review

Dec ’22

Reply to iOS App Store app copycats during delayed release/beta testing

>I am worried about someone making a copycat app with the exact name and getting approved by Apple.Exact name (Liquid - Dynamic Workout) is one thing...variants such as Liquid Workout are another. Exact names can't be used in the same country.Who knows how app review will react to a same-only-different name, which may be only one factor during review.I woudn't count on every variation of your app you can think of running afoul/being spotted/actionable during review.

App Store Distribution & Marketing General

Jan ’18

Reply to Apple rejecting our app for copying/resembling ITSELF?!

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.

App Store Distribution & Marketing General

Feb ’22

Reply to Guideline 4.1 Copy Cats - Questions

Are you sure they speak of the images oand not of the app itself which would look like many other similar apps ?They speak of copycat, not copyright.4.1 CopycatsCome 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.

App Store Distribution & Marketing App Review

Mar ’20

Reply to Fake Reviews

Hello Tomato,I would tell you to use the Report a concern button, but it doesn't work. This developer only has a couple dozen copycat apps. I checked some of the reviews. Mostly they look legitimate. Many were one-star but obviously wrong, blaming the developer because the user didn't know how to use the LaunchPad. That one reviewer only has 3 review and they are years apart.I hate to tell you this, but in the context of the Mac App Store, this developer is really top-tier - the cream of the crop. Most are much, much worse.

App Store Distribution & Marketing General

Sep ’17

App rejection - Design Copycats - Proving that the identity of app developer is same as the brand of the app

Our app has been rejected for the following reason -Guideline 4.1 - Design - CopycatsYour app or its metadata appears to contain potentially misleading content. Specifically, your app includes content that resembles XYZ without the necessary authorization.Please demonstrate your relationship with any third-party brand owners represented in your app.Since the organization that operates this apple developer account also owns the brand and website of XYZ, please let me know what documentation/proof is needed to prove to Apple that the app actually belongs to us. Also how/where must this information be posted to apple.Thanks!

App Store Distribution & Marketing App Review App Review

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6.8k

May ’18

Reply to 4.3 Design Guidelines - Apple please reconsider how this is enforced.

>That is now being dictated by the Appstore, which I feel is very unfair toward developers who are not spamming or cloning games, but rather, providing a specific audience with the exact app they are looking for. After all, marketing is 100% of what makes an app successful these days. The gold rush days of the appstore are over, so if you don't have marketing, you don't have a specific target market in mind, then you don't have any reason to release an app in the first place. And that is what scares us the most as indie developers.How is this not spamming or cloning? Apple is going in right direction - App Store is flooded with copycat apps.

App Store Distribution & Marketing App Review

Sep ’17

Reply to Repeated Rejections Under Guideline 4.1 “Copycats” – No Specific Feedback from App Review

All content is now original (graphics, UI, icons, name, etc.) Do you mean it was not in earlier submissions ? The same version was already approved on Google Play That's never been an argument for Appstore approval. They have their own rules which may be stricter than other platform's. We've removed anything that could even theoretically be misinterpreted as copycat content Could you detail ?, That may have caused previous rejections. the app “appears to misrepresent itself,” That's what you have to understand. How do you describe the app ? What you can do is attach those comments in the notes to reviewer for a new submission. That may help, unless there is effectively something reviewers have found that violates guideline 4.1.

App Store Distribution & Marketing App Review

Jul ’25

Reply to How to adapt RunLoop to swift concurrency(async/await)

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.

Developer Tools & Services Xcode

Mar ’23

Reply to App Rejected – Guideline 4.1 (Copycat / Impersonation) – Need Advice

Thank you for your post. There are several factors that may contribute to an app not following App Review Guideline 4.1. Visit Preventing Copycat and Impersonation Rejections to learn best practices that will help you submit original apps that follow this guideline. If you have questions about App Review's review of your app, we recommend requesting an appointment with App Review during the bi-weekly Meet with Apple event. Sign in with your Developer ID and select App Review Appointment. A member of the App Review team will help you with your questions regarding the review process and the App Review Guidelines. Appointments are subject to availability during your local business hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

App Store Distribution & Marketing App Review

Sep ’25

Guideline 4.1 - Design - Copycats (Please demonstrate your relationship with any third-party brand owners represented in your app.)

Hi devs,we've got an app rejection and the next step is:Please demonstrate your relationship with any third-party brand owners represented in your app.I tried to google and also searched this forum but couldn't find a clear answer/instruction. Therefore I seek your help. Of course I wrote Apple in the resolution center but I didn't get a message back until now, so I'm trying to reach out to the community.Project setup:We: Developer of the app with an App Store account where the app should be published.Agency: Our client, an agency without AS account.Client: Big company without AS account.The app contains the name and logo of the client. This seems to be a problem for Apple now and therefore the rejection. Here's the complete message in the resolution center:Guideline 4.1 - Design - CopycatsYour app or its metadata appears to contain misleading content. Specifically, your app includes content that resembles [CLIENT] without the necessary authorization.Please see attached screenshots for details.Next StepsPleas

App Store Distribution & Marketing App Review App Review

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Aug ’17

Reply to Similar app name with non-competitor, will review be successful?

Even if we knew what X is supposed to indicate, no one here can predict how App Review will react.My opinion is that 'similar' is a risk.See Section 4, Design,in the ASRGs: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.But if you haven't staged your app yet, for all you know, X is already taken...just because you don't see it in the store, doesn't mean it's up for grabs.

App Store Distribution & Marketing App Review

Nov ’17

copycat

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