Rip-off apps flooding the store

[Mike9k]

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.

Is your post directed to me? If yes, I don't care about battles between the platforms. All I wan't is to get the store back to the state it was 3-4 months ago.

 

[RGabrielB]

My main concern is the reasoning behind this is to obtain data from peoples devices. Just looking at the data privileges on some of these apps is frightening. MS need to take more action before it gets out of hand.

 

[1101x10]

My main concern is the reasoning behind this is to obtain data from peoples devices. Just looking at the data privileges on some of these apps is frightening. MS need to take more action before it gets out of hand.

Just looking at the first one on the list (although they all seem similar). They have either just requested all these requirements for no particular reason or maybe they are doing something malicious.


Original game:

App requires

• phone identity
• music library
• media playback
• data services
• movement and directional sensor
• HD720P (720x1280)
• WVGA (480x800)
• WXGA (768x1280)

Pirated version:

​App requires

• data services
• camera
• WVGA (480x800)
• phone identity
• owner identity
• music library
• photos library
• media playback
• microphone
• phone dialer
• push notification service
• movement and directional sensor
• web browser component
• HD720P (720x1280)
• WXGA (768x1280)

 

[fordcom]

Rip-off apps flooding the store

 

[YanivC]

Unfortunately this is what happens with an emerging marketplace. This was no different for iPhone or Android. Hell, Android STILL has that problem!
As the MP matures and MS figures out how to better display the apps, people will "learn" how to spot garbage and when that happens, the copiers will no longer be interested in spamming (ya right as if that will ever happen!).
It is a tale as old as code itself

 

[Mike9k]

Unfortunately this is what happens with an emerging marketplace. This was no different for iPhone or Android. Hell, Android STILL has that problem!

The current situation is not just something that happens with an emerging marketplace and its not about people just learning to spot the garbage. That was until about 2 months ago the current situation has changed as they use now ranking manipulation. The sorting out of garbage part works if every app has a similar chance but as soon as someone starts to manipulate the ranking the users won't be able to sort the good from the bad because their influence on the ranking has less weight.
Microsoft would probably just have to block what they use to manipulate the ranking and the top ranks of the charts would be again more or less clean. Thats why I wan't to get Microsofts attention concerning this problem somehow but it seems this doesn't work so we are stuck with a worsening situation.

 

[YanivC]

I gotta challenge you and +Joe920 on this. No matter what you do, people will eventually figure it out, just ask Google.
How many times do they change their search algorithm? Its a fact of life, people hack and companies react

 

[Joe920]

I gotta challenge you and +Joe920 on this. No matter what you do, people will eventually figure it out, just ask Google.
How many times do they change their search algorithm? Its a fact of life, people hack and companies react

Exactly, and we are hoping that MS will in fact react. Got to keep those hackers on their toes.

 

[Mike9k]

I gotta challenge you and +Joe920 on this. No matter what you do, people will eventually figure it out, just ask Google.
How many times do they change their search algorithm? Its a fact of life, people hack and companies react

Yes I'm quite certain microsoft will solve it at one point. Either they notice it themself or some sites will write about the problems and they will react. But what would you prefer if they solve it now as long as it is still new and smaller or after it has grown for a couple months?

Of course users will also more and more notice what is going on which gives a bad image as they are in the top charts. Here are some user comments about such games:

https://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/...e-runner/deba25af-d68e-4b09-9f37-3b802026d7d6

* This is a troll game...rated by bots

Demon Defense | Windows Phone Apps+Games Store (United States)

* It's castle mine. The same game with different title and publisher.

* Literal copy/paste of Castleminer Deluxe. This should be removed by Microsoft soon hopefully, or maybe these guys will get sued for copyright infringement

Jelly Cube Jumper | Windows Phone Apps+Games Store (United States)

* This is a stolen game, the original game is "Jelly Cube" you can find it here on windows phone store. This stolen version might include viruses. Don't download!!!

https://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store/app/draving-truck/9dd144b2-2787-4562-9868-5d83e772a822

* Stolen. Even name is totally wrong. What the ****?

The faster this gets solved the better for windows phone.

 

[MonkeyDance]

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.

Yea, my company is Super Smith Bros LTD, im just called Monkey Dance on the forums, cant remember why I chose that username. Thanks for reporting Physical Pan.

Yes I'm quite certain microsoft will solve it at one point. Either they notice it themself or some sites will write about the problems and they will react. But what would you prefer if they solve it now as long as it is still new and smaller or after it has grown for a couple months?

Microsoft will almost certainly know about it by now since they'll be getting flooded with copyright infringement claims and customers reporting fake apps, the more people that make a claim the more obvious it becomes.

People are always quick to attack Windows Phone because its 3rd in the market and they can claim its 'up and coming' or 'emerging'... the WP market has gained a lot of steam the last few years and there isn't really much to attack anymore.

I have iOS, Android and WP devices because i develop on all 3 but I chose a Lumia 1020 as my personal phone because I think Windows Phone has the best mobile OS, the app market isn't all that far behind at this point either.

 

[hack14u]

This.

 

[MonkeyDance]

Forgot to say, I sent an email to my local Microsoft evangelist about the clone of Drawtopia a couple of days ago, before I knew any of this extra information or how many games had been affected. He's on holiday at the moment but when he gets back to me I'll bring this up and see if we can get the info passed on to someone at MS who can help.

 

[jefbeard911]

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


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,

One question - Why are you so invested in this? What's your motive of going into so much detail and effort to point this out?

I noticed that this is your first post and that you joined the WC community 21 May. Something's up..Do tell?

 

[Mike9k]

Microsoft will almost certainly know about it by now since they'll be getting flooded with copyright infringement claims and customers reporting fake apps, the more people that make a claim the more obvious it becomes.

I'm not so certain about this. How much of the developers will notice it? How much of them look regularly into the charts and for the ones who do it they have to click their actual copy to notice it. Something like this:



probably won't look suspisious enough to click on it.

It was noticed by me last month so I sent microsoft early last month 6 games of the top ten from new+rising and 3 who just appeared that day with the source for each but got no reaction and all of them are still in the store.
As far as I can tell they will only remove it if the original owner writes a complaint. So Physical Pan is the first one of this kind I should see removed.

Forgot to say, I sent an email to my local Microsoft evangelist about the clone of Drawtopia a couple of days ago, before I knew any of this extra information or how many games had been affected. He's on holiday at the moment but when he gets back to me I'll bring this up and see if we can get the info passed on to someone at MS who can help.

If someone like that could forward it that would be perfect.

One question - Why are you so invested in this? What's your motive of going into so much detail and effort to point this out?

Ok, some personal rant:
Im not the person to surf regularly on forums about smartphones as for me its rather simple: my smartphone needs only some basic functions + games and all of the three big ones have the basic functions so its about games.
My main phone in the past was android but there is the problem with the updates one is lucky to get and what annoys me the most is their permission system. It feels like every second game requires way to much permissions. Why does a normal game have to know what other apps are running, access accounts/contact details, use gps, take pictures and videos, run at startup, power device on/off, send sms and so on? Thats just ridiculous. I browse the game charts every day and it is really annoying if you see a new game that looks interesting but it wants the permission to send sms, access contact details or such so you are forced to accept that or not play it at all. Basically it feels like one needs a second android device only to install the games without concern. So I switched to windows phone as main device because their permission system appeared to be better and I was happy with it. But last month this rip-off games showed up, they are filled with fake comments & ratings, i don't trust them and they clog the chart places where I daily look for new interesting games. I personally don't care that much about the rip-off part because there will always be some fishy developers and as long as the users can sort them with the ranking its not such a big problem. But if they clog half of the top new+rising charts where I browse daily for new games it gets really annoying, damages the other developers and doesn't help getting new good games to wp.

 

[jefbeard911]

I'm not so certain about this. How much of the developers will notice it? How much of them look regularly into the charts and for the ones who do it they have to click their actual copy to notice it. Something like this:

View attachment 105362

probably won't look suspisious enough to click on it.

It was noticed by me last month so I sent microsoft early last month 6 games of the top ten from new+rising and 3 who just appeared that day with the source for each but got no reaction and all of them are still in the store.
As far as I can tell they will only remove it if the original owner writes a complaint. So Physical Pan is the first one of this kind I should see removed.


If someone like that could forward it that would be perfect.


Ok, some personal rant:
Im not the person to surf regularly on forums about smartphones as for me its rather simple: my smartphone needs only some basic functions + games and all of the three big ones have the basic functions so its about games.
My main phone in the past was android but there is the problem with the updates one is lucky to get and what annoys me the most is their permission system. It feels like every second game requires way to much permissions. Why does a normal game have to know what other apps are running, access accounts/contact details, use gps, take pictures and videos, run at startup, power device on/off, send sms and so on? Thats just ridiculous. I browse the game charts every day and it is really annoying if you see a new game that looks interesting but it wants the permission to send sms, access contact details or such so you are forced to accept that or not play it at all. Basically it feels like one needs a second android device only to install the games without concern. So I switched to windows phone as main device because their permission system appeared to be better and I was happy with it. But last month this rip-off games showed up, they are filled with fake comments & ratings, i don't trust them and they clog the chart places where I daily look for new interesting games. I personally don't care that much about the rip-off part because there will always be some fishy developers and as long as the users can sort them with the ranking its not such a big problem. But if they clog half of the top new+rising charts where I browse daily for new games it gets really annoying, damages the other developers and doesn't help getting new good games to wp.

Well said.

I salute you sir!

Cheers.

 

[syspry]

My main concern is the reasoning behind this is to obtain data from peoples devices. Just looking at the data privileges on some of these apps is frightening. MS need to take more action before it gets out of hand.

I don't think you're too far off. Over the years I've also noticed a lot of these sketchy developers are located in countries where software pirating is also prevalent. I don't expect this to change because the governments of those nations appear to have little regard for Western companies or their copyrights and turn a blind eye to it. In some significant cases pirated software is professionally packaged and sold as if they were legitimate products on open storefronts.

I hate to succumb to xenophobia but its become so bad that I've adopted the habit of trying to determine where a developer is located before I install an app as an extra step in protecting my data. User ratings and number of downloads aren't a reliable measure of legitimacy anymore due to the unreliable nature of tech awareness of the average Jane/Joe

 

[MonkeyDance]

I'm not so certain about this. How much of the developers will notice it? How much of them look regularly into the charts and for the ones who do it they have to click their actual copy to notice it. Something like this:

View attachment 105362

probably won't look suspisious enough to click on it.

It was noticed by me last month so I sent microsoft early last month 6 games of the top ten from new+rising and 3 who just appeared that day with the source for each but got no reaction and all of them are still in the store.
As far as I can tell they will only remove it if the original owner writes a complaint. So Physical Pan is the first one of this kind I should see removed.

Very true, the only reason I found out about it is because a fan notified me on Facebook, I don't have time to check the store generally unless I've just released a new app and I'm checking how it is performing.

The good news is it looks like my copyright complaint has gone through and Physical Pan has now been pulled

My main phone in the past was android but there is the problem with the updates one is lucky to get and what annoys me the most is their permission system. It feels like every second game requires way to much permissions. Why does a normal game have to know what other apps are running, access accounts/contact details, use gps, take pictures and videos, run at startup, power device on/off, send sms and so on?

Whilst I agree with you about most of this and updates definitely are poor on Android a lot of the time permission requests are pretty innocent.

Android just makes permissions sound dodgier than they actually are. For example if a game wants to have achievements with google play games it needs to request 'access to accounts', it only actually uses the account names so google play games knows there are accounts to login to, 'location' is often used for targeted advertising (I don't personally do this with my apps though), 'access to protected storage' sounds really dodgy but its just for game saves... its something android should work on really.

Of course some games will abuse permissions and request permissions they don't need but for the most part they just sounds scary and the actual usage is pretty innocent... or maybe I'm being a bit naive and think most developers are like me and try to treat their players with respect and privacy instead of trying to fleece them.

 

[Jazmac]

Is your post directed to me? If yes, I don't care about battles between the platforms. All I wan't is to get the store back to the state it was 3-4 months ago.

It was but forgive my insolence on your post. I was wrong to go there with you.

 

[Mike9k]

Good to hear about the Physical Pan beeing removed.

Android just makes permissions sound dodgier than they actually are.

This is a bit offtopic so just a short list to explain my experience a little bit better. The list is about how often a permission is required in the current free games top 50 from android & wp (without the ones who are easier to understand concerning games like internet, music library, usb access and such):

Windows Phone:
37x phone identity (id that is unique for device & publisher but not device-wide, type of phone, ram and such)
20x user identity (id for the user account but anonymized)
11x phone dialer (as far as I know for ads but needs user confirmation to start the call)
2x location

Android:
2x add or remove accounts
22x find accounts on the device
23x read phone status and identity (similar to wp)
5x use accounts on the device
1x download files without notification (downloads from appstore will be tested by google for maleware but not these files)
1x create accounts and set passwords (is it really necessary for the game to handle this? As there is only one with this permission out of 50 I presume not)
6x approximate location
4x read your contacts (for a game?)
11x retrieve running apps (for a game?)
7x run at startup (for a game?)
1x disable your screen lock (for a game? There is a specific permission to keep the phone awake so why manipulate the screen lock who protects my phone from others accessing it?)
2x draw over other apps (for a game?)
2x modify system settings (for a game?)
2x install shortcuts (for a game? I don't need a game placing shortcuts for me)

 

[Marcos Buccella]

Wow wtf is going on?