It was bound to happen sooner or later. A cracking program for iPhone apps has been released. It’s called “Crackulous”. I’m not mentioning it here because I want you to use it. On the contrary. This program can do more damage than good.
Crackulous removes copy protection (Apple calls it FairPlay) from iPhone app. There is nothing new in that. Several sites already offer pirated iPhone apps for free. But with Craculous everybody can remove FairPlay from their iPhone apps and share them with friends, p2p sites (torrents, newsgroups etc.) or sell them.
So what’s wrong in sharing your iPhone apps with your friends? I guess nothing is worng in that?! If only it would stop there. It won’t! The next thing we’ll see will be some kind of distribution program on your iPhone. It’ll be the pirated version of Cydia, which lets you download the pirated version of the app straight to your iPhone. Of course there are always some people who use pirated applications as a demo. “I’ll buy the program after I try it…”. Do you really want to try out a $ 1.99 application before you buy it?
90% of the applications on iTunes are made by people like you and me. (Well if I could develop an iPhone app I would, but you know what I mean.) Independent developers who has worked hard to make a great application for us.
I’m sure most developers aren’t making a living of the apps, so money isn’t my main concern here. I’m more concerned at how Apple will react on this. I’m no big fan of the way Apple locked the iPhone down. I mean it’s simlocked and you are forced to use iTunes to buy apps. I think the fear of piracy caused Apple to keep the iPhone on a leash like this. Apple could have allowed the “unofficial” developers more elbow space. A jailbreaked iPhone is even more powerful than an “official”. I think Apple knew, that if you allow the unofficial developers too much space, you would end up with a problem like this. I’m sure Apple know that they’ve sold even more iPhone because of the unlock and jailbreak possibilities, so they could live with that.
Apple can’t have people distributing unlicensed iPhone apps. If pirated versions of EA Games’ Monopoly surfaces on too many sites, they will pressure Apple into doing something about it. This could mean the end of Cydia and all the great programs there. Swirly MMS has given us MMS on iPhone, Snapture let us take better photos, SBSettings let’s me control my shortcuts and Cycorder let’s me record videos. Cydia could now be the pirate’s extended arm and dig their own grave.
Would you use a pirated version of iPhone apps? Do you have any on your iPhone now?
23 February, 2009
Current Affairs, Technology