“copycat”

Here is 5.2.1:5.2.1 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 and is responsible for offering any services provided by the app.Who owns the data you are using for the coronavirus? If it is not copyright protected, or if it is explicitly available for your use, then appeal to App Review stating why you have the right to use the data.(I do not think the problem is that last is responsible for offering any services provided by the app.)

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.

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.

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!

Completely agree with you. We have an online ordering system for restaurants. We won 2 innovation startup awards. We have 100% native Obj-C and Java code. We use each OSs native components to make the apps look and feel native for each device. We customize ieach app for each restaurant to have it's own feeling and connect it to several 3rd party systems they are using like fleet management systems, POS etc. and we are now releasing apps only for google play. Our newest clients have a crippled product, even though we try to make bigger and bigger changes to each app in order to make it even more clear that they are not copycats, but apps that only share a minimum, logical amount of UX. Since we were always trying to be in par with HIGs and ASRGs we perfected our apps to have the best flow and usability for our users and we try to keep that in all our apps but Apple has different opinion on that, so it rejects every change we make. Good job Apple, thank you.

Hello everyone, The original post here helped us understand Apple’s position on the Guideline 4.1 (Copycats) violation. It was explained that Apple sees similarities between our app and the Steam project called “Backrooms: Escape Together.” This was extremely surprising to us, as they are fundamentally different games. Here are the main points for comparison: Game Genre & Mechanics Backrooms: Escape Together is a cooperative survival-horror with AI-driven enemies, puzzles, and stealth elements. Our project is a single-player parkour runner focused on fast-paced obstacle avoidance and high-speed gameplay, without puzzle-solving or AI-controlled monsters. Visual Style & Atmosphere Backrooms: Escape Together employs a realistic, horror-centric aesthetic. Our project features a stylized, action-oriented look, aimed at quick and dynamic play sessions. Platforms & Audience Backrooms: Escape Together is oriented toward PC gamers who enjoy cooperative horror experiences. Our project targets mobil

Thanks for the post, I would recommend to check with the App Review team as the final decision always rests with Apple's App Review team, your proposed approach intersects with several strict App Store Review Guidelines I can see. Are you just making those changes into an app or creating a new copy of the app? Like the rule to prohibits cluttering the App Store with multiple versions of the same app. If the original open-source app is already on the App Store, or if other developers have used the same open-source code to create their own branded versions, Apple will likely flag your app as Spam. I don’t think you are using a template as apps created from a commercialized template or app generation service will be rejected unless they are submitted directly by the provider of the app’s content. The expectation is developers to submit original ideas. If the open-source app is a clone of a popular app, or if your reskin makes it look like you are trying to impersonate another app, it will be rejected under the copycat

I completely understand your frustration—our app, Minglr, has also been facing unjustified rejections despite being previously approved multiple times. It’s incredibly discouraging to see copycat apps moving forward while original apps like ours are being blocked. Here’s what we’ve tried so far: ✔ Filed a formal appeal – We made sure to clearly present our case and request escalation to a senior reviewer. ✔ Contacted Apple Developer Support directly – You can try calling them at Apple Developer Support and asking for an escalation to a higher-level reviewer. ✔ Used Twitter/X (@AppleSupport) – Sometimes, posting publicly can attract more attention. ✔ Requested a call with the App Review Team – They finally agreed to discuss our case over the phone. Maybe you could push for the same? Regarding Legal Action: Apple’s review process is notoriously opaque, and legal action is rarely successful unless it involves major financial damages or antitrust concerns. However, some developers have managed to escalat

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.