Handle Copycats (License fraud)

[theScrabi]

Follow these instructions if you want to report an app on the Google Play Store!

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Hey guys, I happen to notice some new copycats which seemingly violate our License.

Once again, it's OK to copy NewPipe as long as you do not violate our GPLv3 License. Please inform yourself about GPLv3 before forking!!!

I already mailed some of the copy kiddies, but they seem to not react on it (like always), so my question is how should we handle these copycats in the future?

List of known and active copies/forks

In the Google Play Store

• TubePlay Mp3 Video
• PlayTube Video Mp3
• Play Tube & Video Tube
• Play Tube & Video Tube (same name, different app)
• Tiny Browser & Video Saver
• GreenTuber block ads on videos
• Play Tube Block Ads for Video
• JanaTube
• Play Tube & Video Tube (same name, different app)
• Yance: Video Downloader Player
• Pure Play Tube - Block Ads
• Pure Tuber: Block Ads on Video
• Play Tube - Block Ads on Video
• Play Tube - Block Video Ads
• Ucmate Play - Tube Player
• Revanced
• Play Tube

In the Huawei AppGallery

• (to be added)

In the Samsung Galaxy Store

• (to be added)

Other copies/forks

• MyDownloader
• Ucmate (website version)
• Modified versions provided on 4pda.to (no source code with the changes, removal of the licenses of the app and the libraries it uses)

[ksh-b]

Thats embarasing. How come they even stay on playstore.

https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/contact/takedown

[theScrabi]

I've tried that, but google does not seem to respond? Maybe I'm doing something wrong here. Howerver, I know that it works sice there was already a fork that got kicket out.

[yasinalm]

don't worry, you don't need to to do anything. it is impossible(99.99%) a single app stays alive until 500 downloads. Play store takes care of it extremely very well as YT is his own too. they can earn 1-2$ but loose 25$ (account registration fee). So, it is not worth that much effort to do something. they punish themselves.

A few examples can be found but they won't live longer and the ads will be eventually ceased.

[theScrabi]

Sure? audiorocket sem tho have more than 400k downloads.

[ericswpark]

Unfortunately while copycats will always be there (I have some on my hands too) it's just easier for you to send a take-down notice to Google and let them deal with it.

That being said, Google hates your app so they might just not be taking it down in spite. Who cares, the average 99% of people in the world likes it anyway ;)

[TheAssassin]

This list has been mined out of 600 MiB of parsed email data. If you can spot some of them, please get in touch with us.

Edit: These are package names I parsed from the ones in the field that was added a few weeks after the introduction of the bug reporting. For this and other reasons, this list is not complete, there might be more.

co.at.newpipe
com
com.akkayaxm.mscPlayer
com.cubic3.MyDownloader
com.dl.video
com.facecampt.free.music.player
com.FloTemp
com.gawo.rohgf
com.green.music
com.halara.trap
com.hvlapps.freemusicplayer
com.mp3musicdownloader.mp3.music.downloader
com.mp3musicdownload.music
com.mp3musicdownload.musicmp3
com.mp3music.newlife
com.mpool.mytube
com.musicmp3downloader.ilovemp3
com.musicmp3.newmusic
com.musicmp3.new\nmusic
com.music.paradise
com.mwiz.pingmusic
com.tenlishir
com.youtube.audiorocket
com.youtubed.ydownloader
com.youtubelistening.youtubebackground
com.youtubelite.floattube
com.zbm.probasse
idev4mobile.karaoke
idev4mobile.videotube
inc.players.youlayer
musicstream.videostream.newpipe
org.bardo.newpipe
org.le.keep_video
org.schabi.newpipe
org.schabi.vbl2013
org.schabi.videodownloader
org.schabi.youdownload
org.schabi.youdownloader
org.testng01.tubeb44

[coffeemakr]

I've created a small script to check if they are on google play: https://gist.github.com/coffeemakr/8862e7903c4bea21b99c6a457268af71

The following packages are on google play:

• co.at.newpipe (MOD edit: removed)
• com.gawo.rohgf (MOD edit: removed)
• com.mpool.mytube (MOD edit: removed)
• com.mwiz.pingmusic (MOD edit: removed)
• com.tenlishir (MOD edit: removed)
• com.zbm.probasse (MOD edit: removed)
• idev4mobile.karaoke (MOD edit: removed)
• com.video.tubeplayerorg (MOD edit: removed) (not on the list)
• idev4mobile.videotube (MOD edit: removed) (mentioned by @Poussinou)

A copyright violation can be submitted with this form:
https://support.google.com/legal/contact/lr_dmca?&product=googleplay
The description on how to fill out the form can be found here: https://support.google.com/legal/troubleshooter/1114905#ts=1115643%2C1115789%2C1117010%2C1697925

[theScrabi]

I didn't expect it to be so much xD

[TheAssassin]

Beware that this is not even the whole list, only the ones we captured on a side-channel. But yes, it's quite an amount. Time to take half a day and send some DMCA takedown notices, @theScrabi.

[Zero3K]

How about adding some code that checks the display/package name of NewPipe and if it has been changed, let the user know (and possibly refuse to work)?