It’s always been the way of the internet, people trying to fool others into thinking they are getting the real deal; whether it’s for fraudulent purposes like a phishing scheme, trying to get publicity, or just looking for a quick buck.
This time around Apple was the victim, aside from the other ongoing legal feuds with companies like Samsung. The guilty party was a developer on the Google open marketplace known as “Official App,” who has had a number of controversial apps on the marketplace to date.
It only lasted for a few hours, but “Siri for Android” by Official App was still able to fool quite a bit of people into thinking it was the official app from Apple themselves. Google removed the app from their Android Market as well as shutting down the developers account and all of their apps.
Developers Name is Misleading
The Siri for Android app first launched on December 28th, and even used Apple’s very own Siri icon as the shortcut image to launch the program. This is one of the downsides of running a basically open marketplace, however Google was swift to show their commitment towards copyright, trademark infringement, and fake app removal.
The developer’s account name was clever in that users often look for the words official whether it’s an official website of a famous celebrity, fan page, or music track. Having the words “Official App” underneath the apps title is very misleading and it is clear that the developers had every intention to exploit this very purpose from the onset of their account.
Siri has experienced praise amongst those who have got the chance to use it, and while Google has their own intentions of releasing a voice assistant, the popularity of Siri was abused by “Official App.” It is believed that more than 1,000 people had downloaded the misleading app within the short-lived time that it was available.
Will it only be a matter of time before con-artists like these resurface under a new moniker, or do you think they have learned their lesson after being removed completely? It would appear that they are playing with fire as Apple is not a stranger to the court-room and could sue the developers.
About the Author
