Stockfish clones in the AppStore: it's becoming a plague...

[JuLieN]

There are more and more paying clones of StockFish in the AppStore. Just for this week, I can count THREE of them :

Original Stockfish for iPad (Free, open source):

iTunes link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/stockfis ... 58605?mt=8#

Cờ VuaBy NHAN NGUYEN HUU ($1.99):

Not a single reference to Stockfish, either in the application, either in its iTunes description. By this screenshot one can see that Mr. Nhan Nguyen Huu can change a string in a source but can't play chess ^^
iTunes link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id439503448?mt=8#

Deep Fish ChessBy ElementoApps Enterprise ($.99):

Slight cosmetical changes, with the mention "powered by Stockfish engine".
iTunes link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/deep-fis ... 11946?mt=8

Chess(Special Version)By Tran Van Luong ($1.99):

Yes, he managed to make it awful. I have no idea why this version would be "special", because I didn't want to spend $1.99 for it when Stockfish is free. Maybe because it's broken? Doesn't seem to be any mention of Stockfish anywhere, and the description just says:

************************
HAVE FUN !
************************
************************
SPECICAL VERSION
************************
SUPPORT : IPHONE,IPAD.

The "author" doesn't even seem to be able to play chess either, if one will judge by this screenshot.
iTunes link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/chess-sp ... 80325?mt=8#

This is just for this week, there are numerous other clones of Stockfish in the AppStore, nearly NONE of them being free. This is a real plague. As I kind of collect all of the chess applications I've been deceived a few times by other kind of apps: those that use stockfish with a different enough interface to lure us into buying them. I think StockFish's team should do something about that.

[mar]

These "authors" are violating GPL IMO as I can't find sources anywhere. I don't know whether they got an exception from the authors. I think the StockFish team should do something about it, but it's up to them. I wanted to develop a chess app for iPhone as well and try to at least get some money back I wasted on Mac Mini but now I see it's hopeless. Appstore flooded by clones. And I guess that's just the beginning Stupid me I missed the right time. Nevermind, moving on to videogames. I really start to like all those geniuses who can change a string, add some stuff and compile sources.

Best
Martin

[F. Bluemers]

Hi Julien,

These people are just following the leader




Best
Fonzy

[JuLieN]

Hi Julien,

These people are just following the leader




Best
Fonzy

Tss, Fonzy, don't start a troll war, please. I'd have munitions too:
I suppose you are a supporter of Android, the cheap and talentless clone of iOS made behind Steve Jobs' back while Google's CEO was a member of Apple's board and used this position to backstab their partner's confidence?

[Andres Valverde]

Open source rules

[JuLieN]

Open source rules

Oh, where can we download Dirty's sources, Andrés?

[F. Bluemers]

Hi Julien,

These people are just following the leader




Best
Fonzy

Tss, Fonzy, don't start a troll war, please. I'd have munitions too:
I suppose you are a supporter of Android, the cheap and talentless clone of iOS made behind Steve Jobs' back while Google's CEO was a member of Apple's board and used this position to backstab their partner's confidence?

You are assuming too much...

[Tord Romstad]

These "authors" are violating GPL IMO as I can't find sources anywhere.

Technically I am not sure there is a GPL violation here, because the source code doesn't seem to have been modified at all, which means that the source code is available.

On the other hand, these apps clearly do violate Apple's iOS App Store rules. If they include Bryan Whitby's "Modern" piece set, they are also guilty of using his art without the author's permission.

I don't know whether they got an exception from the authors.

They did not.

I think the StockFish team should do something about it, but it's up to them.

I am trying to do something about it. I contacted Apple concerning "Deep Fish" yesterday (without receiving a reply so far), and will inform them about the other clones Julien mentioned (and by the way, thanks for bringing them to my attention!) as soon as possible. I used the "Contracts and Legal" => "Rights Infringement" form on the iTunes Connect web site to report Deep Fish. If anyone knows a better way to contact Apple against issues like this, please let me know.

I would also appreciate if those who have downloaded some of these apps could help by writing a review and explain that these apps are clones, and complain directly to Apple if you know a good way to contact them.

[mephisto]

After contacting Deep Fish Chess yesterday they assured me that they would remove my Modern piece set. Looking on the apps store now, Deep Fish is still there but the screenshot which had shown my pieces has been removed, although it may still exist in the program. If these lads, Andrew and John had designed and developed Deep Fish themselves instead of stealing it from Tord and then asked me if they could use my graphics, I would have been more than happy. But to do what they have done is just wrong especially when Stockfish is free and Deep Fish isn't.
I have also complained to Apple about it being a cloned version of Stockfish.
Bryan

[Don]

There are more and more paying clones of StockFish in the AppStore. Just for this week, I can count THREE of them :

Human nature once again at it's worst. Some of them will no doubt take full credit for the chess engine.

An experiment we could do is to contact some of the so called "authors" and ask them about the development process in interview style, but not letting on that we know. I would like to see if they bluff through it or just come clean.

Original Stockfish for iPad (Free, open source):

iTunes link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/stockfis ... 58605?mt=8#

Cờ VuaBy NHAN NGUYEN HUU ($1.99):

Not a single reference to Stockfish, either in the application, either in its iTunes description. By this screenshot one can see that Mr. Nhan Nguyen Huu can change a string in a source but can't play chess ^^
iTunes link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id439503448?mt=8#

Deep Fish ChessBy ElementoApps Enterprise ($.99):

Slight cosmetical changes, with the mention "powered by Stockfish engine".
iTunes link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/deep-fis ... 11946?mt=8

Chess(Special Version)By Tran Van Luong ($1.99):

Yes, he managed to make it awful. I have no idea why this version would be "special", because I didn't want to spend $1.99 for it when Stockfish is free. Maybe because it's broken? Doesn't seem to be any mention of Stockfish anywhere, and the description just says:

************************
HAVE FUN !
************************
************************
SPECICAL VERSION
************************
SUPPORT : IPHONE,IPAD.

The "author" doesn't even seem to be able to play chess either, if one will judge by this screenshot.
iTunes link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/chess-sp ... 80325?mt=8#

This is just for this week, there are numerous other clones of Stockfish in the AppStore, nearly NONE of them being free. This is a real plague. As I kind of collect all of the chess applications I've been deceived a few times by other kind of apps: those that use stockfish with a different enough interface to lure us into buying them. I think StockFish's team should do something about that.