Moderators: hgm, Rebel, chrisw
Unfortunately AFAIK there's no other way to interface with the engine than to include it in the app on iOS.jshriver wrote:Guess it depends on how it interfaces with the engine. If the engine is separate then they can charge and keep their GUI closed source, just think of the Fritz interface for example. It's commercial but can call 3rd party engines via UCI/xboard.mar wrote:These "authors" are violating GPL IMO as I can't find sources anywhere.
Martin
If the app has the engine code hard coded into it, then agree it's a violation.
It's always been a tricky question.
When in doubt I look at it like this:
* Is the OS code completely separate? Then you're fine
* Does your code link to a library or code statically (this including it in your executable). Violation
* Doe you link dynamically and include the OS code as a .dll, .so, etc. Then you're fine.
Things may have changed and also depends on the individual license, I was going by GPLv2.
JuLieN wrote:We've got a new world champion of cheeky cloner!
Here's the recipe:
- compile Stockfish's sources (without changing anything, too dangerous when you don't have a clue what you're doing)!
- Steal Shredder's icon and give it to Stockfish!
- Name it Kasparov!
- Sell it for $.99 on the AppStore!
Et voilà!
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/fr/app/id56735 ... Id=1578782
This is the worst I've seen up to now...
:D Go grab it while it's still available! Teh best app ever! 5-minutes of work 
It is of course the mother of all plagiarists - or let me say the queen! Compared with it Mr. K-T zu Guttenberg is an absolute beginner...JuLieN wrote:We've got a new world champion of cheeky cloner!
The "sprites" (Apple's team of pre-publishing reviewers) only look at blatant legal violations or Apple's own policy (pornography, racism, etc.), and at technical issues (crashes, use of forbidden libraries, etc.). Then the app is published on the AppStore. Yes, apps are reviewed by the users of course, but you can only review Apps you have bought (how could you have an opinion about an App you've not bought).krusher wrote:I haven't read through all the 14 pages however can someone sum up :-
- what is Apple's response? I can still see some of the apps on the links provided on the 1st page.
- doesn't the Appstore allow reviewing of apps by users as people should be pointing out app x or y that is sold is a clone? I don't use IOS but Android allows reviews.
- doesn't apple allegedly vet apps before they come into the appstore?
It is not price to be a serious one for the engine may be it is a price for using the link or the space on the server? More peoples know link to that site then to SF site. Due to that more peoples will get SF.
JuLieN wrote:We've got a new world champion of cheeky cloner!
Here's the recipe:
- compile Stockfish's sources (without changing anything, too dangerous when you don't have a clue what you're doing)!
- Steal Shredder's icon and give it to Stockfish!
- Name it Kasparov!
- Sell it for $.99 on the AppStore!
Et voilà!
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/fr/app/id56735 ... Id=1578782
This is the worst I've seen up to now...
JuLieN wrote: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:
The "author" doesn't even seem to be able to play chess either, if one will judge by this screenshot.************************
HAVE FUN !
************************
************************
SPECICAL VERSION
************************
SUPPORT : IPHONE,IPAD.
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.
'Clone' is not a term you will find in the GPL. The GPL specifies it is only allowed to use GPL code in applications that are themselves open-source and GPL. If the source code of the apps is released under the GPL, the makers of these apps are perfectly allowed to sell them. If not, and they are not willing to provide the source code, then the use of the GPL'ed Stockfish code was a copyright infringement, and its use an act punishable by law.Hood wrote:are they clones at all according to GPL, when it is mentioned that they are powered by SF engine?
