How to report App Spammers?

Question

Created Apr ’16

Replies 4

Boosts 0

Participants 5

I've just had an interesting conversation with a customer who's having trouble with our app, only to find that it's not our app. It's a competitor who's managed to name their application almost identical to ours (except for one letter).

As I investigate the other company, I realized that there's several different apps in the same category with different names (from different vendors) which are all the same application. So I'm guessing that it's actually one person or one company, just spamming the market.

Is there a way I can inform Apple and request an investiagtion?

Boost

Answer 1

KMT OP

Apr ’16

Call em up and ask what they can do about a copy cat dev...

Numbers here.

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Answer 2

PBK OP

Apr ’16

If it has real commercial value, why don't you send a 'cease and desist letter' to the developer based on Trademark and/or Copyright infringement. After all, the bigger dispute is between you and them not between Apple and them. From Apple's perspective they are, at worst, violating Guideline 2.11 (which is limited to 'may be rejected' and 'particularly if there are many') until you assert a conflict under Guideline 8.5 - hence another reason for a cease and desist letter. You might want to copy Apple on the letter and ask Apple to intervene under Guideline 8.5. An Attorney will cost a few hundred dollars.

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Answer 3

chuckc192000 OP

Apr ’16

Apple does have a mechanism for reporting app infringement (although since the redesign of this web site, I don't know where the link is now). They have an online form you can fill out to give the details. All they do, though, is give you the contact information of the infringer. It's up to you to contact them and try to get them to stop infringing. Apple occasionally sends emails to both parties asking if the dispute has been resolved. Miraculously, the guy who was infringing on my app eventually agreed to change the name (he had been using my app name with "Pro" on the end).

Supplemental info -- this may have been the place I went to report the infringing app:

https://www.apple.com/legal/contact/

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Answer 4

John OP

Oct ’16

The Apple Legal Contact page works great for this, it gives a popup to choose App Store issues which provides the link to:

www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/appstorenotices

Still may be worth involving an attorney for the proper wording here as you will be effectively communicating your claim directly with the other party.

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