Rejected due to "copyright infringement"

Peter_Olafson

I have this game on ipad, paid and free. The paid version is also on iPhone. The free version for iPhone was rejected today. They said I'm using scrabble tiles for my icon and in my game. ... Seriously? Scrabble tiles don't have a round inset. The values are different, the quantities are different. I told Apple if Hasbro owns all tiles everywhere they need to pull Words with Friends immediately. We'll see if I'm a developer still tomorrow. :-P

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/wordasm-jr/id595876966?ls=1&mt=8#

lycettebros

interesting

DepressedPanda

From a legal sense.... you don't have to exactly clone something to steal it. Apple is correct.... However, I think you just got a reviewer who had a bad day and should re-submit. Not enough reason to deny it considering the other 1000 clones out there. It'll get through.

guilleface

wait so iam making a Guess Who? game ,will i have problems too?

jamie_c

Those don't look at all like Scrabble tiles...

jonmulcahy

what was their exact wording for the infringement?

Peter_Olafson

Yea, cause they aren't scrabble tiles. I made sure of that. The tiles aren't scrabble, the game board isn't scrabble and the game play is not scrabble.

From Apple:
"we found that your app contains features that may infringe on rights owned by Hasbro Inc., which is not in compliance with the App Store Review Guidelines.

Specifically, we noticed your app displays Scrabble tiles in the app icon and within the app. Please see the attached screenshot/s for more information.

Please provide documentary evidence that you have the rights to use this content to ensure compliance with the iOS Developer Program License Agreement. Once Legal has reviewed your documentation and confirms its validity, we will proceed with your app review. Be aware that while your iTunes Connect Application State is displayed as Rejected, it is not necessary to upload a new binary if you only need to address issues in your metadata. However, you need to address compliance issues in your app, and you are able to make the necessary changes, we encourage you to do so and resubmit your binary for review.For discrete code-level questions, you may wish to consult with Apple Developer Technical Support. Please be sure to:"

DeadlySeriousMedia

There is a very small difference between your tiles and scrabble tiles, the circle inset. The letter in the center with the smaller number in the bottom right are hallmark traits of the scrabble tiles. That combined with the wooden look makes for a very blurry line in copyright infringement. The circular inset is something that can be argued as a "superficial" change the a copyrighted design, which I believe falls in the category of infringement. I'd suggest making a change to the shape, like beveled corners so It's not a perfect square, change the font up so it's more noticeably different, maybe move the small number to the top right.

Edit: I know my suggestions may also seem "superficial", but a number of small changes combined together can really set something apart from a copyrighted design.

There are a ton of letter/tile based game on the market but none of them use with wooden tiles.

Peter_Olafson

The corners actually are beveled. But that's no different than a circle inset. And halmark of scrabble doesn't mean trademark of scrabble. Words with Friends puts the value in the upper right. Does that mean if I move my value to the upper left or lower left that no other game producer can do that? Who owns Majong? Are they going to sue scrabble for placing images on tiles(letters are just images). And using wood as a source? George Washington might have something to say about that.

So, yea, I'm just being humorous. I am not a copyright attorney. But I really don't think they can claim that this is an idea completely unique to scrabble. I'm sure with a little digging I could find plenty of games that predate scrabble with images and values on tiles. But I can't cause I have to do the job that actually pays the bills.

contrasthall

its bs but you have to deal with it, i feel like some of us "gamesald devs" are getting more issues since the company started changing after steve jobs passed. like you said words with friends and the 1000 other letter games but we are an issue all of a sudden? i havent gotten annnnyyyy games in this year constant rejection and always some bs excuse which is literally the opinion of the reviewer and not a legal or error reason. i just feel like i have a jerk reviewing all my games lately lol. don't give up, makes small changes, fight back and resubmit...at their mercy.

Peter_Olafson

I wonder how anal they will get. On this path it's a matter of time before GS games where a person gains points/prizes for jumping into a platform are told they violate the Mario accord of 1983.

DepressedPanda

I think your problem with the tiles is while they don't appear to be Scrabble tiles via art-style, your tiles have the scoring numbers on them which are trademarked by Hasbro.

Peter_Olafson

hmmm, that could limit me to having to provide point values per spot and not tile. That would be mega dull.

contrasthall

hmmm, that could limit me to having to provide point values per spot and not tile. That would be mega dull.

just change where the points are and a few other microscopic differences if you want to be safe, swap a side points are on tweak the background of tiles or shape or something else... but mostly bottom left corner points on letter tiles seems to be the key issue...

oh and fun is licensed by hasbro so take that out of your game too

DepressedPanda

Like I said earlier, submit again. I think you just hit a reviewer on a bad day.

epicstag

Don't worry, they said that my app (that is on the store now) had copyright infringement because it uses memory skills and had the word memory, and that some company in Germany owns the word "Memory".

Not to mention that an App that was on the App Store was called simply, "Memory". Just appeal and don't sweat it. I know that's not possible though, I've been there.

Peter_Olafson

I've played it safe. Fun is not a part of any of my games. ;-P

SingleSparq

On a similar note I got an infringement notice from apple today on a game I did 3 years ago. Orbitz world wide is afraid of confusion with my game Orbitz! Jump adventure.

PixelPun

I'm amazed sometimes at what they reject and what they let through... I remember a couple of years back a full copy of Mario Bros was available for like a day and a half...

epicstag

I think there is a strong possibility that the testing process is largely automated and only passed on to a live person under certain circumstances.

SnapFireStudios

This is ridiculous..
I mean I can see what they mean, but if they're going to reject this, they need to remove all of the other apps that include things like it.
Maybe some of these other clones like Words With Friends actually emailed or called Hasbro and got permission? Maybe it's not as hard as you think.
- Thomas

Chakku

This is ridiculous..
I mean I can see what they mean, but if they're going to reject this, they need to remove all of the other apps that include things like it.
Maybe some of these other clones like Words With Friends actually emailed or called Hasbro and got permission? Maybe it's not as hard as you think.
- Thomas

Yeah, I would email them for permission.

Chakku