Apple Authorizes Counterfeit Version of Wolfire's Lugaru

[Tom Goldman]

Apple Authorizes Counterfeit Version of Wolfire's Lugaru

Apple has approved an illegal, counterfeit version of Wolfire Games' Lugaru for the Mac App Store.

Wolfire Games of Humble Indie Bundle [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/106444-Heres-the-Final-Numbers-on-the-Humble-Indie-Bundle-2] fame released Lugaru, its third person action game starring an anthropomorphic bunny rabbit, on the Mac App Store under the name Lugaru HD for $9.99 at the end of January 2011. Just two weeks later, a game called Lugaru popped up on the App Store for $0.99, without Wolfire's knowledge. It's evidently a counterfeit version of Wolfire's game, but was approved by Apple anyway.

The $0.99 version of Lugaru was released by a company called iCoder whom Wolfire has been unable to contact. Wolfire distributed the source code for Lugaru after its inclusion in the original Humble Indie Bundle [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/100451-Get-Five-Great-Indie-Games-for-Any-Price-You-Want], and iCoder took that code and basically released it as its own game. A very shady move.

Kotaku reportedly got a statement from iCoder that reads: "We have every legal right to market and sell the software ... The license we were granted allows for non-exclusive redistribution of the source code or the compiled product, modified or unmodified, for a fee or free of charge." Wolfire disputes this claim, pointing out that open source software is not freeware, saying: "The license made it very clear that the authors retained all rights to the assets, characters, and everything else aside from the code itself."

It's like a pirated version of a developer's game being sold right next to the legitimate version in a retail store. Wolfire has contacted Apple for an explanation, and to perhaps receive remuneration, but hasn't heard back as of this writing. Even if Apple realizes its mistake, Wolfire believes it may have lost valuable sales in the process.

Thanks for the tip Madd the Sane [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/profiles/view/xpk3]!

Source: Wolfire Games Blog [http://blog.wolfire.com/2011/02/Counterfeit-Lugaru-on-Apple-s-App-Store-developing]

Permalink

 

[Daemascus]

Wow... Nice one Apple. How on earth did they miss this?

 

[Daymo]

Smooth move Apple, way to look after your contributors.

 

[Lenny Magic]

You have to wonder if Apple even fully checks what it approves. I can imagine it goes something like: "Hmm Lugaru. Lets just check if this works... Yeap. Approved!"

 

[rembrandtqeinstein]

The message everyone should take from this is that APPLE SCREWS DEVELOPERS. When you deal with them you deal with the devil. Like dealing with Activision, you need to decide if the money on the table is worth the cost in hassle, morale, and self-respect.

 

[JediMB]

As much as I dislike Apple, I really can't blame them for this. They can't spot everything, and it's not really their fault that the people at iCoder are morally bankrupt.

 

[Lord_Ascendant]

My reply?

Spoiler: NSFW...really really really. You've been warned

Spoiler: Turn back now!

Sorry, Wolfire. Apple is just....that mean.

 

[HentMas]

The message everyone should take from this is that APPLE SCREWS DEVELOPERS. When you deal with them you deal with the devil. Like dealing with Activision, you need to decide if the money on the table is worth the cost in hassle, morale, and self-respect.

bwahahahaha

seriously??
you are being sarcastic aint you???

you just have to be kidding!

"apple screws developers" is a new one, i would rather say given the news "Apple has a crappy aproval process for the apps"

but really in a busines standpoind who would willingly screw the guys that can make or break your plataform???

wathever, i´m not going to fall for this "all mayor companyes are the DEVIL!!" thats just... not looking at reality.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

Looks like this Apple...
*puts on sun glasses*
Had a worm in it.
YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

lawl

OT:

can't blame apple directly for that..

BUT

developers! DEMAND reimbursements! oh maybe around...51 billion? that sounds like a good round number.

 

[goatonastik]

So whats the downside of apple having dictatorship-like control of it's apps?

....oh, this.....

 

[hansari]

And this is why we can't have nice things...

future newspost will read Wolffire games can only be played via steamcloud...

 

[s_glasgow99]

We really shouldn't stand for people receiving this kind of abuse. If this was Doom, or Quake, or Half-Life, or any other engine that gave out it's source code for free and this happened, these iCoder people wouldn't be able to see with all the lawsuits coming at them. But a single developer, from HIGH SCHOOL no less, naw, lets exploit him. These guys need to be brought down a peg. If anyone from 4CHAN is reading this, iCODER is your new target. Make these guys wish they never wrote a line of code ever.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

So, Piracy eh? Worse when they charge for it...but this time...It's Approved Piracy.

Nice work Apple, this looks like
*glasses*
In Cider Trading.

YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH

 

[Desworks]

I won't blame Apple for this one, as they can't check the apps for copyright violations easily (similar to how youtube relies on such things being reported), but I certainly hope they yank the app quickly.

As got these iCoder fellows, this is really a disgusting thing to do, especially as it's abusing the idea behind open source projects. Shame on them.

 

[Canid117]

What a dick move.

 

[Trogdor1138]

As much as I dislike Apple, I really can't blame them for this. They can't spot everything, and it's not really their fault that the people at iCoder are morally bankrupt.

Indeed. The only sensible response yet. I second this one. QFT.

I third this. It seems like more Anti-Apple junk, when they're blaming the wrong people. It sucks this happened but they can't be expected to give special attention to every tiny thing that goes on there right?

I hope those developers get what's coming to them, did they really think they could get away with this in the end?

 

[NLS]

Those guys at iCoder are really the evil part here (although I'm no fan of Apple either). Lugaru is open source, but the license only covers the source code of the project, not the assets or other parts of the game. You have to actually own a legal version of Lugaru to play the iCoder version. (and they're not selling a legal version on their own)

 

[stranamente]

As much as I dislike Apple, I really can't blame them for this. They can't spot everything, and it's not really their fault that the people at iCoder are morally bankrupt.

Indeed. The only sensible response yet. I second this one. QFT.

I third this. It seems like more Anti-Apple junk, when they're blaming the wrong people. It sucks this happened but they can't be expected to give special attention to every tiny thing that goes on there right?

Actually iCoder posted the game on the app store as Lugaru, when the original game's name is Lugaru hd. It wasn't at all hard to discover this scam.
I'm not for hating apple "just 'cause", but you have to admit thay have some liability for this and for not taking the other game down.
Besides, now icoder put the price at 1,99$ to harvest the last money before the closure.
Scum.