App Alert: Awesome Photo FX an Etchings rip-off

This post will not come as a shock to most, as we are now accustom to apps being being copied in one form or another, however this current rip-off has moved things up a notch.

For those not familiar with Etchings: Etchings [App Store Link] from developer MindSea lets you create etched illustrations from any photo, has eight styles that you can tweak to fit your image, and offers an easy and fun way to turn your photos into a unique works of art.

So what's the rip-off? Well about a week ago, a new app appeared in the "Entertainment" category on the App Store called "Awesome Photo FX". Awesome Photo FX slipped under my radar, however if did not slip under the radar of Etchings developer Bill Wilson. Bill noticed that app had some striking similarities to his own app, so bought the app to take a closer look. Low-and-behold Bill discovered that the developer going by the name of "Duan hucai" had not just copied the idea, but had hacked the binary, made a few cosmetic changes, resigned it, and then uploaded it as "Awesome Photo FX". In an email from Bill, he said "I opened up the .ipa file and found all of our artwork, GPU fragment shaders, out compiled user interface files, everything, etc.  Of course running the app, everything is identical (a few graphics have changed) even the output resolution is 1200x1200, filter names and output are identical."

Bill has filed an Apple infringement form, so hopefully this app will be removed from the App Store shortly, but between now and then, just stay clear of this app, and take care when spending your hard earned cash.

Comments

[bichonpawz]

Thanks for sharing this information with us! I am always on the lookout for new photo apps and these warnings are a huge help!! Thanks so much!!
Jeanne

[melia]

i just checked for it and don't see it in the app store

[Suzé]

Glyn I've noticed a lot of dubious apps lately again in the AppStore. Most are in the $2.99 price range and most of them have suspicious 5 star ratings.
Art Sketch Effect HD, Art Camera FX HD, Advanced Photo FX HD, Abstract Smoke FX HD, Advanced Focus FX HD, and Advanced Camera FX HD are the ones that are top rated in the AppStore right now.
In addition, they make the app free then rapidly rescind it, so if you see it free on a site like Appshopper, it has already turned to a paid app. I put one on my wish list to see if it was a scam or not and sure enough, the minute I received an email and went to the AppStore it was $2.99. I wish there was a more streamlined method to report scam apps to Apple.
I reviewed Etchings on pocketsizedpodcast and it's a unique app. This is theft, pure and simple. I hope Bill is able to get it pulled quickly from the AppStore.

[Tinrocket]

I too see that it has been removed from the store, but the big question is, why is the developer still in the store? Something like this ought to be egregious enough to get a developer's account canceled.

[Espekayen]

The app shows up in an AppShopper search but is no longer available in the UK App Store. As a general rule of thumb, I tend to avoid apps where the app's description was obviously written by someone whose first language is not English. It's just not worth the hassle, what with all these scammers working the App Store. And it seems Apple are unable/unwilling to do anything about it.