Apple has called on the EU Commission and national authorities to do more to combat app fraud in the future and to protect developers from copyright infringements. Apple's own hands are tied by the new requirements of the Digital Markets Act: The company is no longer allowed to check the content of software that is offered outside the App Store, Apple managers complained at a compliance workshop held by the EU Commission on Monday. Accordingly, the manufacturer assumes that, thanks to alternative app marketplaces and direct sales of iOS apps, more copyright infringements through cracked software and app clones will come into circulation in the future.
Advertisement
Apple warns about cracked apps
In this “new world”, EU authorities would have to take much more aggressive action against such app fraud and need more resources to do so, says Apple. There are already initial initiatives in the USA that are intended to curb misleading practices by developers – something that has not yet been seen at “this level” in Europe. Apple itself denies access to the App Store to thousands of apps that violate copyrights every year. This protection is no longer available due to the more open app distribution.
One of the “most notorious distributors of cracked apps” immediately showed Apple interest in offering an alternative app marketplace for iOS, an Apple manager gives as an example. The iPhone company would therefore have liked to continue to check the content of apps – “we were told that this was not permitted”.
iPhone apps available outside of Apple's App Store
iOS is still far from a platform that offers free sideloading: Apple wants to continue to check all iPhone apps – including those that are then offered outside the App Store, be it in other providers' marketplaces or directly via the developer's website. There are also high hurdles for operating an app store and selling apps directly. According to the current status, only developers who have a “good standing” with Apple and who also already sell an App Store app that must have achieved over 1,000,000 initial installations in the EU in the last twelve months are allowed to take part in sideloading – small developers are therefore excluded.
(lbe)