Irksome, but Nothing New

I woke up this morning to a friendly tweet from someone who noticed that another "developer" had taken one of my Github Projects and had put the app on the App Store for money.

Now, I license my source code very liberally.  Generally, using my stuff - even recompiling and releasing it unchanged - is allowable. Modish this holder, the source code headers require nothing except for so as to code redistribution include the copyright notice and license. Modish other expressions, you can service the code from Tile Cutter lacking one obligation to me by the side of all. However, the project license, which covers everything as well above and beyond the code, specifically requires copyright notice and attribution. That capital the assets like images, icons, and nib library cannot be used lacking by the side of very smallest amount attributing me and counting my copyright notice. Not simply is nearby nix attribution in this app, the developer has taken steps to remove the license and copyright notices to turn into it look like it was in black and white by him or her. Hell, they even used my GitHub narrative, word in support of word, except for in support of the part almost the licensing expressions.

If the app were free of charge, I'd probably precisely shake my head and move on. If someone wants to pretend they wrote a little code I wrote, it doesn't really hurt me all so as to much. I'm a little irked by the detail so as to they're charging money in support of something so as to I intended to be free of charge and can't comprehend how they can point of view this as a legitimate mechanism to act, but even with them charging in support of it, it doesn't really hurt me. It bothers me a little so as to they are enriching themselves on something I intended to be free of charge, but I can progress greater than so as to.

But, it turns not worth it, it's not precisely my stuff this developer has ready this with. This same developer plus took EmberWind, Stone Mill, and Stash (renamed Personal Finance) from GitHub and did the exact same mechanism. Seeing this makes me far more angry, as these workings embody a exhibition amount more effort than this weekend project of mine. Modish all these personal belongings, the developer has taken steps to turn into it appear so as to they are the creative author of the apps by removing relations or attributions to the creative authors. Even if not a manage violation of the licenses (I'm pretty certain it is in these cases), it's unmistakably unprincipled. The theft of these other apps makes me far more nuts than the misappropriation of mine.

But put off, there's even more!

Someone sent me this link to the developer's net position. Apparently, Wang Ting is a very copious developer whose register of apps include several major American Magazines and dozens of other Mac and iPhone apps. Several frequent allow identified the sources of several of the app icons on so as to summon (hint: By the side of smallest amount a little of them are not creative to this developer), and I allow a sneaking suspicion so as to Cosmopolitan, Marie-Claire, T3, and Seventeen haven't qualified their product to a little random personality developer in cups. I possibly will be off beam, but I'd be willing to deposit money on it if you're in a gambling mood.

I've notified Apple, and will be attempting to notify others whose product was stolen. Hopefully, Apple will take down the offending apps and consider revoking Wang Ting's developer privileges.

I know Apple can't and shouldn't be projected to catch all copyright infringements and license violations in submitted apps, and whilst you friendly source something, there's for eternity a hazard so as to frequent will service it and not respect the creative license. But I allow to wonder why the more blatant personal belongings don't dispatch up a large red flag.  If I were a reviewer and saying a major US magazine's content incorporated in an app by a random developer, I'd be a little hesitant to approve the app lacking a little verification so as to they had the straight to broadcast it.