Guideline 4.3 - Design - Abuse against developers?

Question

servidoresbrasil OP

Created Sep ’17

Replies 6

Boosts 0

Views 4k

Participants 5

Hello,

We have problems regarding:

Guideline 4.3 - Design

We noticed that your app provides the same feature set as many of the other apps you've submitted to the App Store; it simply varies in content or language, which is considered a form of spam.

Additionally, apps that use the same - or very similar - icons make it difficult for users to find apps and are considered a form of spam.

The case is that we work with radio apps and all will be similar but each radio want your own app and not stay inside some "shared" app with others stations. Even if we change app layout, use diferent contents and graphs, the app is rejected.

I believe that exist diferences between some cases, and forbiden a developer to make others apps of the same type is abusive. Apple force developer to make an app that the developer client do not need or request. That's a very strange action from apple and really I would like that someone from apple explain why reject apps of the same type from one developer could be good to someone. In some cases that's good group content, but in others thats really only forbiden the developer to make a valid and usefull app to the final client.

I know that developers need accept and built apps acording apple rulers, but don't you see that this ruller have no logical sense in some cases?

What really I see is many radio app developer only stop to do apps of that type, is that your intention? Stop some types of apps? Make developers lost money due not be possible to not attend some type of clients? Why? I really want to know why?

I believe that retire trash from app store is one thing, eliminate games or apps with no relevant use is one thing too, but forbiden apps from companies that exists and that have diferent end users and use the similar apps to make your own business relation with the end user better is not spam, because the app is really destined to some respective end user, that end user of that company.

Boost

Answer 1

cblaze22 OP

Sep ’17

I agree. Apple can't tell the difference business an app used by a business and an app the is repurposed solely for the developer specifically to get downloads and make money.

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Answer 2

servidoresbrasil OP

Sep ’17

I belive that is necessary Apple flexibilize that ruller. But like others big companies, I believe that they do not care about controversial opinion, even if common sense shows they are wrong. They are the owners of the ball and the field, everyone should play as they want.

But I'll leave some suggestions:

Create a separate section in your store to group apps that look similar in features but actually serve different end-users and companies, so you can keep the store selectivity and still allow other businesses to exist in your store.

Analyze the type of the app, differentiate what is spam from what is made for a company to relate to its audience. This can not be spam.

If it is to group, then you create a way to pass some variables through the url of the store so that a radio or the company that make part of that cluster can divulge a link in its own site that makes that radio/ company as the defaul content in the app, with option in app to access others contents.

And finally, I can not see totalitarian actions like this coming from an American company.

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Answer 3

KMT OP

Sep ’17

>actions like this...

You mean the ones you agreed to when you signed up, as outlined in this section from the Developer Agreement?

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7.3 Apple reserves the right to cease marketing, offering, and allowing download by End-Users of the Licensed Applications at any time, with or without cause, by providing notice of termination to You. Without limiting the generality of this Section 7.3, You acknowledge that Apple may cease the marketing and allowing download by End-Users of some or all of the Licensed Applications, or take other interim measures in Apple’s sole discretion, if Apple reasonably believes that: ℹ those Licensed Applications are not authorized for export to one or more of the countries listed on Exhibit A, in accordance with the Export Administration Regulations; (ii) those Licensed Applications and/or any End-User’s possession and/or use of those Licensed Applications, infringe patent, copyright, trademark, trade secret or other intellectual property rights of any third party; (iii) the distribution, sale and/or use of those Licensed Applications violates any applicable law in any country You designated under Section 2.1 of this Schedule 2; (iv) You have violated the terms of the Agreement, this Schedule 2, or other documentation including without limitation the App Review Guidelines; or (v) Your Licensed Applications violate Section 5.4 of this Schedule 2, including without limitation upon notice by a regulator of an alleged violation. An election by Apple to cease the marketing and allowing download of any Licensed Applications, pursuant to this Section 7.3, shall not relieve You of Your obligations under this Schedule 2.

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Answer 4

Eklesia OP

Oct ’17

What about to publish the App in the customer account?

Works?

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Answer 5

KMT OP

Oct ’17

The app has to not be cookie-cutter too.

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Answer 6

jeret OP

Oct ’17

Basically, I have been dealing with the same issue. Apple is just basically sending auto-responses. So here is basically what Apple will allow you to do.

1. If you upload an app and get hit with 4.3 or 4.2.6
2. Build your container app
3. Your container app will get rejected because of the auto scans apple is doing.
4. Reply in the first rejected app that you have built a container app and reference that container app
5. Apple will reply super quick
6. Your app will go into review!

So basically Apple is giving you one more app to make in your developer account... If you follow their rules they will work with you very fast. I don't like what is happening but I do like that they are giving us an option... Hope this helps everyone.

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