
iOS App Store - Fake Microsoft Word 2012 Approved - ghurlman
http://itunes.apple.com/app/microsoft-word-2012/id534884750?mt=8
======
pooriaazimi
I love these guys. They have tons of other shitty/scammy apps:

\- Fruit Defense (ripoff of Fruit Ninja):
[http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fruit-
defense/id527599882?mt=...](http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fruit-
defense/id527599882?mt=8)

\- File Manager (a game!): <http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/file-
manager/id529097807?mt=8>

\- Orient Fight (icon is a ripoff of Temple Run's):
[http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/oriental-
fight/id527894964?mt...](http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/oriental-
fight/id527894964?mt=8)

\- F1 Birdie Driver (bird looks like an angry bird):
[http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/f1-birdie-
driver/id529098374?...](http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/f1-birdie-
driver/id529098374?mt=8)

\- Slider Customizer (obviously does nothing):
[http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/slider-
customizator/id5316330...](http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/slider-
customizator/id531633075?mt=8)

\- Videogram Pro (ripoff of Instagram, with almost the same icon):
[http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/videogram-
pro/id529801444?mt=...](http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/videogram-
pro/id529801444?mt=8)

\- Tapped (ripoff of Bejeweled):
<http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tapped-./id527589234?mt=8>

\- Real Robot Attack (I know it's a ripoff of some famous game, but I don't
remember its name): [http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/real-robot-
attack/id529803195...](http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/real-robot-
attack/id529803195?mt=8)

\- Two other shitty apps: Beauty Meter
([http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/beauty-
meter!/id527010584?mt=...](http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/beauty-
meter!/id527010584?mt=8)) and Oldity Meter
(<http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/oldity-meter/id529098528?mt=8>)

\---

This is why I sometimes get mad at Apple. I _do_ believe they have the right
to curate their store, but I think they should do it more vigorously and
reject every single shitty app, and ban those developers. App Store is getting
filled with these crap...

~~~
Bud
You feel that Apple should reject "every single shitty app"? Really? You do
realize that such things are subjective, right?

~~~
pooriaazimi
I actually meant 'scammy'.

I just don't think they should be doing it so half-assedly... Either don't
reject apps that fall short of some stupid 'guideline', or add 'don't produce
scammy/confusing apps' to your 'rules' and reject such apps. There are
hundreds of apps on the App Store, allegedly allowing you to record your phone
calls. Only 1 of them works as far as I've heard (and that works by adding
another remote listener to the conversation, in _conference_ mode), or
thousands of scammy apps that are supposed to let you change wallpapers,
screen savers, put notes in 'lock screen', warm up your hands (by emitting
ultra-something rays out of screen!), put more than 4 icons in the dock,
create password-protected folders, blacklist phone numbers, auto-response to
SMS, you name it. I think every single one of these apps should be removed
from the App Store.

------
berkut
It's getting ridiculous - I'd heard of this happening a lot, and then last
week one of my GPL'd Mac apps that's hosted on GitHub appeared on the Mac
Store, being sold for €23.99 by some person (obviously Chinese with a really
dodgy website). Surely the dodgy website should ring some alarm bells at
Apple?

Despite going through the process on the store feedback to notify Apple of
counterfeit apps, I've had no response...

I don't really care _that_ much that someone's profiting off my work (they
didn't even bother to do their own screenshots), I'm more concerned that some
people are going to pay that money for that clone of my app, when it's free
(although not in the App Store), and the other developer is very unlikely to
help them if there are any problems.

~~~
ceejayoz
If they provide the source code on request or in the credits or something
similar, isn't that perfectly legitimate?

~~~
fpgeek
My understanding was that the GPL and Apple's app store terms were
fundamentally incompatible, but I suppose that might only be true of iOS
(because of the development tool issues and such).

~~~
TazeTSchnitzel
GPLv3 which requires handing over the keys, yes. GPL(v2), no.

------
pkulak
Aren't we handing over all the flexibility of open app development so that
Apple can protect us from crapware? What the hell are they doing with my $100
a year?

~~~
franzus
I don't know what they're doing. But I think it must be something really
complex as my last application needed 13 days to get "in review" status and
then 18 days more to get approved.

Feels good paying those $100 every year ...

~~~
briandear
You could just stop developing for Apple. I hear Android is an "open"
platform.

~~~
franzus
Yeah, but Java no thanks :)

~~~
padraigm
You're probably joking, but in case you're not aware, it's possible to develop
Android apps in many languages other than Java. Other JVM languages like Scala
[1,2] are perhaps the easiest. C and C++ (and feasibly other languages that
can call C libraries) are supported through the NDK [3]; there's even a
project to use Objective-C on Android using the NDK [4]. It's also possible to
use scripting languages such as Python or Lua using the Scripting Layer for
Android [5]. Some of these methods will require you to write a very minimal
Java wrapper to properly package your app, but realistically Android is no
more tied to Java than iOS is to Objective-C.

[1] - <https://code.google.com/p/scalaforandroid/>

[2] - [http://robots.thoughtbot.com/post/5836463058/scala-a-
better-...](http://robots.thoughtbot.com/post/5836463058/scala-a-better-java-
for-android)

[3] - <https://developer.android.com/sdk/ndk/index.html>

[4] - <https://code.google.com/p/android-gcc-objc2-0/>

[5] - <https://code.google.com/p/android-scripting/>

~~~
falling
I can't comment on the other options because I haven't investigated enough
yet, but people should definitely stop suggesting SL4A as a viable option to
developing Android apps. It's not.

~~~
padraigm
Due to the fact that you have to either assume users already have SL4A
installed on their systems, or package it with your app, it's certainly not an
ideal solution for developing a typical Android Market app. There are
definitely a lot of specialized applications that it is well suited to address
though, and it can also be useful to quickly prototype a tech-demo for an app
that will later be fleshed out in Java or one of the NDK-supported languages.

~~~
falling
Prototypes, sure, but people always mention it to say “You can write apps in
Python on Android”. That’s simply not true.

SL4A is kinda like PhoneGap: you can use it, but you will not get a quality
app out of it. That might be fine for your use case, but it’s definitely not
on par to using the canonical platform.

Other quick notes: The last commit on the Scala for Android project is from
two years ago and says “add 2.2 support”, the related blog post is from one
year ago. Same deal with Android ObjC: last commit April 2010. I would never
trust either of these for production development.

I’m sorry but languages other than Java and C++ for Android development are
closer to vaporware than reality right now. The only good alternative is Mono
<http://xamarin.com/monoforandroid> which is actually working and supported
and not a forgotten weekend hack.

Please note: I’m perfectly fine with Java.

------
timdorr
Their other apps: [http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/super-racing-real-
games/id...](http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/super-racing-real-
games/id527010587)

From the looks of it, they're a total scam developer. How does this stuff get
into the store? At least two of their apps use the logos of other apps with
some quick filtering to change the colors.

I guess Apple isn't doing much more than a cursory check against trademarks
when approving apps. That seems really dangerous. Copyright infringement
procedures are well defined by the DMCA. Trademark doesn't have an equivalent
law.

~~~
smackfu
I think Apple's position is "it's not our job to police your trademarks, since
you don't tell us when you license them to developers".

~~~
bcl
Nope. When I first submitted SharePics the logo had a white space at the
bottom. They rejected it because they said it looked like a Polaroid. Apple
needs to be more consistent, either curate the hell out of it, or don't.
Inconsistent application of the rules make it more confusing for naive users.

~~~
0x0
Not only naive users, it makes it pretty hard to get a feeling for what's
acceptable even for seasoned developers with good intentions. (Volume button
for camera, anyone?)

------
saurik
Apple, just a few days ago, also approved (and pulled once there was a lot of
online press being caused by it) a fake Cydia. (Cydia is the alternative to
the app store that distributes substrate extensions for jailbroken devices.) A
bunch of people bought it and then left reviews saying that they had been
ripped off.

<http://cache.saurik.com/tinyimg/cydiascam.png>

~~~
ajays
Maybe it's because it is in Apple's interest to get people pissed off at
Cydia?

~~~
saurik
To take this question seriously fr a moment: the reaction is more to undermine
the trust in the App Store's curation; this I one of those scams where the
moment after you fall for it you know, in hindsight, that you've been had, so
you don't seek retribution on the person being impersonated.

------
huxley
I thought it was interesting that the seller's last name was Potemkin:

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potemkin_village>

------
alainbryden
This is so deceitful. If they weren't trying to swindle people they would have
named it "Tips and Tricks for Microsoft Word" or "Microsoft Word 2012 Helper".
This product is not "Microsoft Word 2012" and they should not get away with
naming it as such. I rarely say this about small companies, but I hope they
get sued into bankruptcy by the big M. Most importantly, I hope everyone who
purchased it gets their money back without having to ask.

------
wattjustin
Out of all of the reasons why this is crazy including a misleading title and
screenshots, I just can't believe the app size is 121MB.

~~~
iamandrus
The price is pretty ridiculous too. I would have bought it simply for the
novelty if it wasn't $10.

~~~
vibrunazo
I believe that's part of their magic trick. I don't think as many people would
rush to think it's the official MS Word if it cost only $1.

The price, app size, screenshots. Everything is misleading, except the one
thing most people don't even look at, which is the text description.

~~~
TazeTSchnitzel
Yeah, they deliberately made the in-app interface look like a mobile word
processor. Which is really, really deceitful.

------
hcarvalhoalves
The app store is full of scams right now, and Apple doesn't seem to care, they
just want their cut. Apple is more interested in banning whoever competes with
their own offerings (BitTorrent clients, Music stores, etc.) than actually
reviewing apps.

------
cosmic_shame
Looks like the walled garden's walls are pretty easy to hop over these days.

------
grecy
So when Microsoft wants to submit the "real" 'Microsoft Word 2012' to the app
store, how does Apple handle the name conflict?

Can I go and submit an app under the name of every existing company name I can
think of, just like domain parking?

~~~
eigenvector
Considering that Microsoft Word is a registered trademark of Microsoft that
the author of this app is presumably not licensed to use, I would think that
Apple should have no issue removing it.

------
peterjmag
"How quickly can you page numbering?"

A question for the ages, indeed.

------
villancikos
This is a "great" scam. I can't belive people is falling for it. But worst, I
can't believe Apple "stantards" approved this one. It is incredible the amount
of people that doesn't read at all. Not even the small description.

~~~
mbetter
> "stantards"

Not sure if typo or insult.

------
hogu
reminds me of The Asylum film studios - they do the same thing, except for
movies. I've been tricked into renting their movies instead of the real ones
before, when I had forgotten the correct title.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Asylum>

~~~
MartinCron
Yes! I went from very confused to very angry when I watched "Battle Of Los
Angeles" on Netflix streaming thinking it was "Battle: Los Angeles". And that
didn't cost me anything (other than the 20 minutes wasted before I realized I
had been tricked).

~~~
ajarmoniuk
To be true, this mockup movie was not much worse than the "original".

------
nimeshneema
The description sounds hilarious and man I am loving the grammar:

Description:

Every modern person some time or other is faced with Microsoft Office Word.
However not everyone knows it to perfection! "How quickly can you page
numbering?" How about adding and changing the page header? If takes more than
a minute, this program is for you! Now you always have a list of tips which
makes any Microsoft Office task easy and simple.

Seems like the developer tried to make this version of Word less sucky...

------
n9com
Utter joke. Some app reviewers must be getting bribed - no way they can miss
this scam app!

------
macuenca
Seems to be already removed, at least that's what I see from Europe with a
U.S. account.

Remember that whatever amount of money is this publisher making, Apple is
taking a 30%. Maybe they don't put too much effort on their side on purpose,
just saying.

~~~
Samuel_Michon
Apple breaks even on app sales, and has done so for years. The 30% of paid
apps is used for developing the Xcode software and SDK, evaluating app
submissions, advertising, affiliate programs, payment processing, storage and
bandwidth.

Also remember, Apple pays the storage and bandwidth for all the free apps,
which devs can submit for free.

------
inportb
Is there a link to this that _doesn't_ want me to install iTunes? For some
reason, some iTunes links do not hit people with a paywall but some (such as
this) do.

------
mmuro
Is this a case of the app getting approved as something else and then the
developer turns around and changes something in the meta that doesn't require
approval?

~~~
younata
As I understand it, even if you don't change the actual binary, changing the
meta info still requires another review.

------
dutchbrit
Is it just me or has the app been removed? Saw it earlier on, and indeed, what
a scam.. Can't believe it got approved!

------
tiernano
unless they changed it before now, the text specifically reads that its a
tutorial app, and has tips, not pretending to be a full Word client... mind
you, how many people bought it not reading the text fully? how many dident
look at the screen shot? And if that was a lot of people, i am releasing a
Microsoft Excel and Outlook app for the iPhone/iPad later on... free money
from what i can only imagine are people with too much feeking money...

~~~
Groxx
I'm willing to bet a fair number didn't read it. Given one of the reviews:

> _Very Stupid App!!!!

This is just a waste of money. Don't buy this app because you cannot even
write a document!!!!!!_

But that's about par for the course. The dissatisfied ones are always the
loudest. I do _highly_ doubt they had permission to use the Microsoft
trademark in that way though.

~~~
ceejayoz
> I'm willing to bet a fair number didn't read it.

Why would I? I'd personally have assumed that no Apple reviewer would ever
permit a developer named "Super Racing Real Games" to use the Microsoft Word
logo and name for an app. They're supposed to be there to protect against this
sort of stuff, so I can't blame folks for not reading too closely.

~~~
illumin8
Are developers able to change the name of their app after it is approved and
published in the app store? Because, if so, there might be a reasonable
explanation for this mistake:

1\. Developer submits app named "Tips for Microsoft Word". 2\. App is
approved. 3\. Developer changes app name to "Microsoft Word 2012". 4\. Profit?

~~~
akmiller
No, you cannot change the App name once the application is in the app store.
On top of that, all app names must be unique.

~~~
pooriaazimi
Yes you can.

Just a few days ago, 'The EagleBook' changed its name to 'The CIA World
Factbook', for example: [http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/eaglebook-cia-world-
factbook/...](http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/eaglebook-cia-world-
factbook/id412637620?mt=8)

~~~
ben1040
You can change the name, but to do so requires you to change the app metadata
in XCode, rebuild a new binary, and upload it back to iTunes Connect like you
would any other update.

That would trigger another round of reviewing, so in theory you shouldn't be
able to "sneak" a name change past Apple.

~~~
akmiller
Exactly, not sure why I got the down-vote above. You can't simply edit the app
name and change it after the app has passed review.

~~~
pooriaazimi
Maybe because a lot of people thought you were implying App names can't be
changes, period (I upvoted you btw!).

