Every few weeks we get a post on the forum from a person wanting to know if they should contact a major company about selling them an idea. I always advise people not to do this as they can just steal your idea and there's nothing you can do about it.
This student didn't just have an idea, he submitted a working app. Apple told him that they wouldn't allow his app in their store, and instead told him to submit a resume because they realize he's very talented and want to pay him peanuts for creating products that make them millions.
The kid refused and now they released the exact same product in their new Iphone software, with a very similar logo as well. Apple is becoming the Big Brother type of company they accused IBM of being back in 1983: YouTube - 1983 Apple Keynote-The "1984" Ad Introduction‏
But, this problem isn't just with Apple. Most big companies will try to screw over anyone who submits them an idea or product like this. Twitter is doing the same thing to many of their developers; they steal the products that are successful or severely limit their developers ability to compete with their copy-cat products. You have to control the sandbox that you play in or else they can do this sort of stuff to you.
That's why I'm not a huge fan of being an app developer; you can never feel safe that the company you create apps for won't shut you down or steal your idea, and there's nothing you can do about it because you're on their API, and they have all the customers you're looking for. Anyways, sorry for the long intro. The article is below:
Apple didn't even try to hide their blatant theft. Just look at the logos:
This student didn't just have an idea, he submitted a working app. Apple told him that they wouldn't allow his app in their store, and instead told him to submit a resume because they realize he's very talented and want to pay him peanuts for creating products that make them millions.
The kid refused and now they released the exact same product in their new Iphone software, with a very similar logo as well. Apple is becoming the Big Brother type of company they accused IBM of being back in 1983: YouTube - 1983 Apple Keynote-The "1984" Ad Introduction‏
But, this problem isn't just with Apple. Most big companies will try to screw over anyone who submits them an idea or product like this. Twitter is doing the same thing to many of their developers; they steal the products that are successful or severely limit their developers ability to compete with their copy-cat products. You have to control the sandbox that you play in or else they can do this sort of stuff to you.
That's why I'm not a huge fan of being an app developer; you can never feel safe that the company you create apps for won't shut you down or steal your idea, and there's nothing you can do about it because you're on their API, and they have all the customers you're looking for. Anyways, sorry for the long intro. The article is below:
Apple Accused Of Swiping Student's Wi-Fi Sync App For iOS 5
Apple unveiled its new mobile operating system, iOS 5, this Monday at the Worldwide Developer's Conference to much fanfare. But some are now saying that one of the OS's key new features, Wi-Fi Sync, which allows users to synchronize the contents of their music libraries without having to plug their devices into computers, was largely based on an app submitted to Apple months before.
Greg Hughes, a college student in the U.K., submitted an app called Wi-Fi Sync to the Apple Store in May 2010. The app let users access their iTunes libraries wirelessly, without docking a portable device to a computer, reports The Register. Sound familiar?
Hughes was rejected from the store, but not with a standard form email. Instead, an Apple rep personally called him to let him know that the app did not meet certain security standards and would not be allowed in. He also asked that Hughes send along a resume.
Undeterred, Hughes began to sell the app in the Cydia store, which peddles apps for jailbroken iPhones, at the price of $9.99 a pop. Since then, it's sold over 50,000 copies.
Apple's own Wi-Fi Sync feature, a part of the upcoming iOS 5 mobile system, not only performs the same function as Hughes' rejected app, but even has a strikingly similar logo (see here).
“Obviously I was fairly shocked,” Hughes told The Register. "I'd been selling my app with that name and icon for at least a year. Apple knew that, as I'd submitted it to them, so it was surprising to see that.”
Apple Accused Of Swiping Student's Wi-Fi Sync App For iOS 5
Apple didn't even try to hide their blatant theft. Just look at the logos:
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