Rip-off apps flooding the store

[Joe920]

So how is this not a story on windowscentral.com yet? Mike9k already did all the hard work! It's negative publicity, but I think MS not doing anything would have worse negative long term impact.

 

[Jazmac]

So how is this not a story on windowscentral.com yet? Mike9k already did all the hard work! It's negative publicity, but I think MS not doing anything would have worse negative long term impact.

When did Windows Central became the official spokespersons of Redmond? Or IMore become the spokes persons of Apple or Android Central become the official spokespersons of Google? I thought these were blogs free to talk about whatever they choose to talk about. I also though these forums were the property of Windows Central ergo, your answered your own question. It IS on Windows Central.com the moment the OP posted it. End of story.

 

[Joe920]

ergo, your answered your own question. It IS on Windows Central.com the moment the OP posted it. End of story.

Um.. I meant "I think this warrants an article hosted on www.windowscentral.com". Note to self, be explicit.

 

[Yazen]

No way does it help Windows Phone to have a store filled with scam apps. It makes the store less useful, reduces revenue for developers, and ultimately reduces the number and quality of apps.

There's a difference between scam and "rip-off" apps. Scam implies that deceit is involved, whereas a "rip-off" app is intended to emulate/clone a target app.

It's common sense as to why the Windows store has many clones.

 

[Angry_Mushroom]

So how is this not a story on windowscentral.com yet? Mike9k already did all the hard work! It's negative publicity, but I think MS not doing anything would have worse negative long term impact.

Likely as tgp said above. The actual percentage of the apps being ripoffs doesn't really warrant much attention. Best we can do, and something MS recommends is reporting the app if it is sketchy, or breaking the TOS set by MS.

 

[Laura Knotek]

Likely as tgp said above. The actual percentage of the apps being ripoffs doesn't really warrant much attention. Best we can do, and something MS recommends is reporting the app if it is sketchy, or breaking the TOS set by MS.

When I find apps that are counterfeit, I don't just report them to Microsoft. I also report them to the developers who have the copyright. For example, I found counterfeit Firefox apps in the Windows Phone Store. I reported those to both Microsoft and Mozilla.

 

[Timbre70]

For WP, any possibility that these fake apps might steal your personal data?

 

[Mike9k]

Likely as tgp said above. The actual percentage of the apps being ripoffs doesn't really warrant much attention. Best we can do, and something MS recommends is reporting the app if it is sketchy, or breaking the TOS set by MS.

60% of the top ranks in US new+rising isn't enough to warrant much attention?

When I find apps that are counterfeit, I don't just report them to Microsoft. I also report them to the developers who have the copyright. For example, I found counterfeit Firefox apps in the Windows Phone Store. I reported those to both Microsoft and Mozilla.

That won't help much in this situation. It will take some time until they get removed after the original publisher sends a complain. Also they can just resubmit it with a new publisher name and stolen icon. My research, the complaint from the original publisher and micorosofts takedown is probably more work than it is for them to submit it and they are the only ones who earn something with it.

Since I made the list there are already 4 new ones of this kind in the top 48 (in two days).
New ones of this kind as of today: rank 6umpkin Zombie Rider, rank 8:Into the Whirlpool, rank 8ixel Mario, rank 19:Wilderness Defense. (From: Chasing Zombies, Raving Rabbids(splash), Pixel Hunter, Forest Tower Defense(also stolen))
All of them with release date between 5/17/2015 and 5/18/2015. I don't really have the time to search every other day or so for the 4 new stolen games and their original source to inform the publisher & microsoft and if lucky see how they stay there for a week until taken down. Its not like I get paid cleaning up the top 48. When someone has found a way to fill the top ranks with their stolen apps micosoft has to fix first the ranking loophole they use otherwise its tilting at windmills.

 

[Mike9k]

Additionally concerning using the normal report route and contact the original owner: its sometimes difficult to find the original one. Here is an example of rereleasing with new publisher (all of them are still in the store, oldest to newest release date):



The first is as far as I can tell the owner from 2013. I haven't found the three day old release yet in the new+rising charts but from how it usually goes we will see it likely 1-4 days from now in the top 50 of the US new+rising.

 

[MonkeyDance]

Hi, I'm the developer of Drawtopia and I found out about this today thanks to a fan on Facebook, we've filed a copyright complaint against Physical Pan and are awaiting response.

Its especially frustrating as Physical Pan now has over 2000 reviews in the US so it feels like they are literally stealing players from us right now. To me it looks like the XAPs have been decompiled and recompiled with a new name, just removing any developer info and credits, the games are so identical I cant see any other way they would have done it.

I mean they even had the cheek to keep our company logo on the splash screen and just change the name above it!

I actually contacted WP Central with a news tip about this today too, some of my other developer friends have had their games cloned very recently as well so it seems like its becoming a serious problem.

 

[Lanceloni]

The only way to handle this at the current time is to use the "report this app" feature of the store. Ultimately, it's up to the original content owner to submit a pull request.

For all the people talking about the app being a rip-off, this is FAR WORSE. It's not a case of just taking someone else's idea and publishing it. they are instead downloading the original app, decompiling the code and RESUBMITTING it as their own. They only threw on a different icon and used a different name.

 

[Lanceloni]

There are ways to prevent a pirate from using your app. Do a check at app launch and if the AppID or FamilyPackageName doesn't match yours, throw up a dialog stating it is a counterfeit and include a link to the original app.

Counterfieters cannot mimic your AppID or FamilyPackageName.

 

[MonkeyDance]

Lanceloni yup, I totally agree and I would advise anyone who spots a stolen game to report it if they know for sure its stolen or have played the original game.

Its not just a case of clones where there are some minor differences, I mean, I wouldn't have minded if they'd used different assets, music and made a few changes here and there but these are literally stolen XAPs and the thief is just republishing someone else's work and taking credit and revenue for it, I'm pretty furious about the audacity of it to be honest.

 

[MonkeyDance]

There are ways to prevent a pirate from using your app. Do a check at app launch and if the AppID or FamilyPackageName doesn't match yours, throw up a dialog stating it is a counterfeit and include a link to the original app.

Counterfieters cannot mimic your AppID or FamilyPackageName.

The problem here is that if they are smart enough to decompile the app they'd more than likely see there is a copyright flag when they test it and just remove the checks before submitting it.

I have analytics built into my apps and I'm pretty sure they've removed all of that because there aren't any strange spikes or stats in my reports.

This is out right theft, its not just cloning where there are some changes, new music and assets etc. They've literally stolen the XAP and republished it with a new name.... going by how many games its happening to its a pretty serious problem.

I guess the only real solution if MS don't step in is for developers to protect their code with cryptography so the hackers don't have anything usable after decompiling... its total overkill for most small developers though.

 

[920Walker]

I've noticed this problem for at least a month and it has kept me from the store, which is a detriment to developers and Microsoft. A fix needs to be implemented, and fast.

 

[Mike9k]

- what could be done to protect against this? (app encryption as the poster above suggests?)

They are supposed to be already encrypted. I can't post links but enter this in a search engine: windows-phone-dev-center-automatically-encrypts-all-apps

The only way to handle this at the current time is to use the "report this app" feature of the store. Ultimately, it's up to the original content owner to submit a pull request.

That doesn't help much anymore with the ranking manipulation and their release speed.

Here is the first page (first 48) of the top free chart from US as of today:



Here are 19 games from that list with other duplicates of the same game from different publishers and also what I believe to be the original:

rank 6: Space Trace 3D
source: Real Racing With Beats

rank 11: Locked Room, Escape 100 Doors, Doors Escape 2 Edition
source: 100 Doors 2

rank 14: Invincible Master, Kungfu Fighting, Stickman KungFu Fighting
source: iKungfu Master

rank 17: Soldier Stickman, Gravity Stickman Soldier
source: Gravity Soldier

rank 18: Stickman Wars, Stickman Revenge League
source: Stickman Revenge

rank 19: Candy Summer Camp, Yoyo Candy
source: Christmas Cookies

rank 21: Golden Miner
source: Memrace

rank 23: Candy Deluxe Mania, Diamonds Deluxe Legend
source: Diamond Rush

rank 26: Wild Ride Stunt
source: Stunt Car Racing

rank 30: Climbing Hill Racing, Jam Dangerous Climbing Hill, Hill Climbing 2D
source: ???

rank 31: Bigfoot Go Home
source: Monster Car : Stunt Challenge

rank 40: Stickman Driving, Stickman Rush Hero
source: ???

rank 41: Pets Garden Fruit
Source: Fruit Splash Deluxe

rank 42: That Guy, Kungfu Master Stickman
source: Stickman Master Kungfu

rank 43: Pixel Mario
source: Pixel Hunter

rank 45: MOTO Extreme, Stunt Bike Extreme, Extreme Bike Stunts
source: ???

rank 46: Brain Teaser, Very Hard To Escape
source: Hard to Escape

rank 47: Happy Farm Fruit Link, Fruit Bubble Splash
source: ???

rank 48: Ninja Gravity Turtle Runner, Ninja Gravity Turtle Run
source: ???

Thats close to 40% in the top 48 free charts and 60% in new+rising. Keep in mind they got only around 2 months ago so aggressive concerning new+rising and the percent value of the top free chart will likely increase with time if Microsoft doesn't react.

 

[Mike9k]

Note, this may be old news and unrelated, but it's a lot more recent than the blog post stating that all apps would be automatically encrypted. The linked article was from mid 2014, not sure if MS has made any changes since then.

I have found another security hole concerning the encryption which still works even for the older versions (pre 8.1). I won't post the details about that as it is problematic but it boils down to:

1. There are ways to get the content without encryption and after that its possible to decompile, change and resubmit it.
2. There is a way to manipulate the ranking
3. They have no problem creating multiple accounts often 1 for each game

Probably around 2 months ago they started to combine this and are now flooding the higher ranks of US new+rising chart with stolen games & icons and the top free chart is also getting slowly crowded by them.

 

[MonkeyDance]

Its recommended on Android that developers use obfuscation to protect their code, thats also a possible solution for Windows Phone devs but as stated XAPs are supposed to be encrypted already and it shouldn't be necessary.

Fact of the matter is it doesn't matter whether its obfuscated or not if the hackers are determined enough, anything is crackable with enough effort and skill but the amount of fake games showing up does seem to suggest there is something more serious going on here.

 

[neo158]

I think the YOUR research story is quite co-incidental. I read some garbage posted by this quack on CNET just this morning and it was repeat with PURE hatred of all things Microsoft. The story made it sound as if Microsoft a co-conspirator in the thefts. The story focused a lot on some movie app that allows you to watch unreleased movies and how many stars it has but the story spends NO TIME AT ALL on the massive amount of piracy that exists and has existed with android apps. I keep saying the closer to the release of Windows 10, the more the trolls will be coming out from under every bridge everywhere.

I read that same article, no facts, no comparisons with other stores just typical cnet pure opinionated bias.

 

[neo158]

Hi, I'm the developer of Drawtopia and I found out about this today thanks to a fan on Facebook, we've filed a copyright complaint against Physical Pan and are awaiting response.

Its especially frustrating as Physical Pan now has over 2000 reviews in the US so it feels like they are literally stealing players from us right now. To me it looks like the XAPs have been decompiled and recompiled with a new name, just removing any developer info and credits, the games are so identical I cant see any other way they would have done it.

I mean they even had the cheek to keep our company logo on the splash screen and just change the name above it!

I actually contacted WP Central with a news tip about this today too, some of my other developer friends have had their games cloned very recently as well so it seems like its becoming a serious problem.

I assume the developer name for Drawtopia is Super Smith Bros?

I've also found Physical Pan, a rip off of Drawtopia, on the Store with the developer name DOB. I'm reporting it now.