Filed under: Apple, App Store, Jailbreak/pwnage
iPhone dev asks cracker to stop, cracker says to sit on it
Update: It is worth mentioning that there are applications with a free, ad-supported version available and yet the premium version is still cracked. One such example is The Iconfactory's excellent Twitter client, "Twitterrific."Let's say you are a developer and want to have a go at this whole "iPhone" platform. Let's also say that you lay out the money to register with Apple, spend about 250 hours to develop an addictive and entertaining game, and manage to get it approved for sale in the App Store.
If you have made it this far, as James and Constance Bossert of Fairlady Media have, then you probably would be excited to see a sudden spike in application usage... but according to a post at TorrentFreak, that was only the beginning of the Bosserts' problems. When usage shot up for their app "Whack 'em all" (iTunes link) without a corresponding increase in revenue, James went to work figuring out why. The bad news: his app had been cracked and was being distributed, for free, for use on jailbroken devices.
The cracker's (handle of "Most_uniQue") stance on the matter, as reported to TorrentFreak, is that Apple is responsible for the content on the App Store, and users should not have to pay for an application that might be "ridiculous, worthless, or poorly-represented" (which seems faintly ridiculous; isn't that the point of the iTunes review system?). MU told James that until Apple implements some sort of "try before you buy" system, the only recourse for developers who want to avoid cracking and sharing is to either create a trial/limited version of their game, or submit a jailbreak version to Cydia as an ad-supported app (again, not a well-considered idea: the population of jailbroken device users that would be able to view the ads is both small and difficult to measure, two factors that advertisers dislike).
Some might call this cracking-for-change approach to reforming the App Store a form of extortion; others might point out that one of the major remaining motivations for jailbreaking is to have access to cracked apps. Without a parallel/independent licensing control system or copy protection outside the App Store, developers are hamstrung.
While Fairlady Media's James and Constance are remaining relatively positive (the additional exposure is helping legitimate sales along with the cracked copies), it is easy to see that there is a hole in Apple's system. If it is possible for video rentals to be time locked, in theory it should be possible to do this for App Store applications as well. We here at the TUAW HQ do not encourage stealing from hard-working application developers, but we still want to know what you think, even if you happen to be pirating apps.
Thanks ctrlaltdelete!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)
IanC said 12:08PM on 1-13-2009
And this is why i think responsible mac sites you should not report on jail braking
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huh said 12:19PM on 1-13-2009
...because if you don't say anything, there isn't a problem... wait, what?
Matt said 12:29PM on 1-13-2009
Um, honestly? Because jailbreaking is not illegal? Distribution of apps illegally via a jailbreak IS. Learn what you're talking about.
Robert said 12:37PM on 1-13-2009
Jailbreaking is to this situation what knifes are to stabbing. Sure, jailbreaking enables deviants to rip off developers, just as selling a kitchen knife enables deviants to stab other people, but the step from a tool existing to the tool being used for "evil" indicates an ethical deficit on the part of the deviant. Reporting on tools that do a lot of good (like paving the way for third party apps or cutting meat and vegetables) does not make the reporter irresponsible when an evil, apathetic, or deranged person uses those tools to the detriment of another. I don't condone stabbing or ripping people off, and I also don't condone the line of thinking you seem to have. Point the finger at the person who deserves it.
Furthermore, Apple computers and Mac OS (as well as PCs and Windows) have been involved in cracking all kinds of software that run on them, resulting in lost revenue for developers. If every journalist / blogger followed your view of responsibility, this blog wouldn't exist at all because 90% of the things it reports on involve tools that could potentially be used to cause harm.
Andrew said 12:36PM on 1-13-2009
No I agree with not reporting on it. It was cool and all when Apple refused to not let applications beyond web apps on the iPhone. But now it's a breeding ground for pirated applications. Granted there are a few cool apps being developed that can't be done within the limits of the SDK but those seem to be the exception not the rule.
As an iPhone developer myself, we've seen piracy rates as high as 60% some months. That means of unique server hits we received for a month, the sale numbers from Apple were 60% lower than the actual unique device hits. Now some of that can be attributed to multiple devices on the same iTunes account sharing apps, etc. but I'd feel confident in saying that a 60% discrepancy couldn't be attributed to that alone.
So how do we handle this? We're going free and moving to an ad supported model for all of our current and future applications. I blame a lot of this on Apple for failing to slam the door on the illegal application installs and simple DRM circumvention techniques, but it also falls on the part of the blogs that still portray iPhone hackers as vigilantes saving the world from the oppression of Apple. These iPhone hackers/jailbreak developers may have legitimate purposes for further opening the iPhone but at the same time they should be condoning those that steal applications. You're not stealing from some huge corporation and sticking it to them, you're robbing indie development companies that have potential to bring some ridiculously cool things to the platform.
Robert said 12:51PM on 1-13-2009
@Andrew if it is a big problem, I would suggest researching your own methods for circumventing Apple's crackable DRM. For example, tie purchases to iTunes accounts (or similar) and remote disable the software until the connection is established, or go the route desktop software makers do by using serial numbers. If the built-in solution fails you, brew your own or start a grass-roots effort to get Apple to fix their DRM scheme. (Of course, ad supported apps are a fine fix if that works for your app. You have the potential over time to make more than you would have charged for a 1-time fee.)
Again, I don't condone ripping developers off, but trying to suppress a tool that is used for good because some unscrupulous people use it for evil is a dangerous thing to do.
Also, I sometimes download an update directly to my phone, then update it on my computer without syncing. Purchasing an app on the phone, then purchasing it on the computer results in iTunes saying "You already paid for that, so here is the download for free." That could potentially account for 50% fewer sales than downloads.
askwatt said 1:44PM on 1-13-2009
I think the knife analogy does not work here at all. Knives have many legal uses other then stabbing, while jailbreak has only one use, which would be to cheat either a company or people out of their intended profits, for the benefit of the individual using the software, or the device... Whatever. Yeah not talking about it does not make it go away, but talking about it sure brings it to more peoples attention. Just because the tools are there to make it easy does not make it right.
stainboy said 1:53PM on 1-13-2009
@Andrew: as someone who absolutely detests ads, i hope you consider offering paid versions for people like me who prefer to throw you a couple bucks instead. given a choice i'll almost always go with a paid version or competing app that doesn't offer ads.
Robert said 2:58PM on 1-13-2009
@askwatt I think you are simply ignorant of what jailbreaking allows.
Not only will it allow me to develop apps for my phone without upgrading to an Intel Mac, it also allows me to put a different theme that I made myself on my phone (the primary reason I jailbroke my phone was that I was sick of the ugly default theme), run background processes, and access the really powerful underlying functions of the phone that are otherwise unavailable.
Jailbreaking allows me to use my phone as more of a computer than something to talk to people on. I've listed several uses of jailbreaking don't cheat or harm anyone or their profits. I paid Apple for the phone, AT&T for the cellular service, and I pay for every app that I use that requests payment.
The knife analogy is a fine one. Your understanding of jailbreaking is incorrect. Jailbreaking is useful for more than just cheating people.
CHRiS said 2:57PM on 1-13-2009
askwatt you have a lot to learn. As a matter of fact, basic 1 minute research (rather than guessing or assuming) would have shown you that there are plenty of people/companies making money off of apps that need a jailbroken phone, due to them not being able to be accepted at the app store for whatever reason. To name just a few: iTalk, iBlacklist, SpoofApp, Cycorder, Cylay, iPhoneasModem - and many many more.
Johnny said 3:28PM on 1-13-2009
Askwatt,
I humbly disagree with your point because there IS a lot of uses for jailbreaking other than ripping anyone off. I jailbreak my phone for customizability, access via SSH, access to legal software some of which is superior to App store apps, etc. I DO NOT download apps that are jailbroke. In fact, I still get most of my apps from the App Store. So, yes, it is like the knife because there are plenty of legitimate and legal applications for jailbreaking. I do not condone cracking.
Johnny said 3:31PM on 1-13-2009
Sorry, I have to correct my type. I do not download apps that are cracked, but I do download apps from Cydia.
Cameron said 3:32PM on 1-13-2009
Nice one TUAW! how many people will look more seriously into jailbreaking? i feel like im the only person to intentionally unjailbreak my ipod... ah who am i kidding i f*cked up the SSH on it, ah well, locked to 2.2 thanks to leopard 10.5.6
hmlong said 5:01PM on 1-13-2009
Johnny, there are [sic] a lot of legitimate uses for torrent software too... but when 80% of the traffic is illegitimately "shared" music and video, one has to ask if the benefits outweigh the consequences.
Robert said 6:03PM on 1-13-2009
@hmlong I don't buy for a second that 80% of people jailbreak their phone to pirate App Store apps. It just isn't that important to most people. If you said 80% did it to use the iPhone on another carrier, I'd believe you. But I don't know a single person with a jailbroken iPhone that did it to pirate an app, and almost everyone I know that has an iPhone has had it jailbroken at one time or another.
Gazoobee said 12:14PM on 1-13-2009
This story was handled quite a while ago on theAppleBlog here:
http://theappleblog.com/2009/01/07/when-the-cracked-and-the-cracker-meet-an-iphone-tale/#more-14623
It has a bit more detail on what the cracker actually thought he was doing (words from his own mouth).
It seems that this dufuss has no justification at all really, and is just outright stealing. I know lots of folks that read this site are into jailbreaking etc. supposedly for altruistic, academic sort of reasons, but this incident exposes the naked underbelly of the whole thing IMO. Here is a classic jailbreaker dude, obviously he has done this or similar before, he doesn't care about the legal aspects of it and merely spouts some juvenile illogical crap to justify it.
This guy is exactly what the average person is afraid of when they think of who the jailbreakers are, i.e. - idiots with a broken moral compass. I don't think all jailbreakers are like this, but I bet there will be a lot of people who will defend this jerk and dirty themselves by association. Jailbreaking the phone is one thing, stealing other peoples apps is just plain old "stealing."
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tripdragon said 12:18PM on 1-13-2009
This is news how? Their called pirates. They have been around since computers were created. All this article does is to boost the sales one one app. It's like tuaw favored this app.
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Aron Trimble said 12:40PM on 1-13-2009
This is news because, for this platform, Apple holds the key to the city. We are not playing favorites with this game only with the fact that its developer went above and beyond to understand the situation and confront the cracker.
JD said 3:58PM on 1-13-2009
I agree that the interesting thing here is not the bogus arguments offered by the pirate, but the confrontation of the issue by the developer.
However, the fact that "Apple holds the keys to the city" is precisely what leads me to jailbreak my phone, even if I barely use that functionality. The idea of an OS company confining my use of my own computer to a narrow set of predetermined channels gives me claustrophobia, even if I rarely venture beyond those channels. I realize that there is a tradeoff here: the more open the platform, the more vulnerable it is the piracy, and therefore the less software development there may be. But that is a tradeoff I accept. Ideally, OS X would be entirely open-source, but failing that, the more open it and the iPhone version are, the better. And if that leads to piracy as a necessary consequence, so be it.
T said 12:23PM on 1-13-2009
These hackers are worse than thieves. Not only do they take without paying, they enable others to take without paying. They need to have something taken away from them. Stealing from Bob to make a point with Joe is never justified. Scum, plain and simple.
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