Monday
Dec072009
Molinker on AppStore scam: "We don't know what's wrong so far"
Monday, December 7, 2009 
via flickr.com
As reported yesterday in the blog, a recent AppStore scandal has ended up with Molinker expelled by Apple. The Chinese developer has been accused of pumping AppStore ratings, allegedly giving five star reviews to their own apps. Molinker would have used the fifty promocodes to write these reviews in the US Store, which would explain why they never got more than 60 five star reviews.
This weekend iphoneography.com with made this concerns public and with the help of user SCW contacted Phil Schiller to warn about this developer's practice. You can read the full email sent to Apple here.
These allegations are devastating for Molinker and since there has been no official statement from Apple or developer about the case, I decided to contact them directly. I felt the need to give the chance to Molinker to explain what happened but also to ask how apps sold by this company are going to be supported once the firm is not present in the AppStore.
This is the email that I received from Ma Kun, which figures as owner of Molinker's website domain.
"Hi Julen,Thank you for your message about it.We got email from Apple yesterday [Sunday 6th] which told us our contract is changed to pending status.Actually, we do not know what's wrong so far. We had contacted Apple for such sudden changes, hope we can get quick response and actions from Apple.Thank you for your support !best regards,Ma Kun"
In this email Ma doesn't acknowledge allegations against them, nor they have been expelled from the AppStore. I have emailed him back for further clarification and to give them the chance to explain their view in this conflict.
Molinker is a prolific developer that has published popular applications featured in the AppStore, which are handpicked by Apple. Some of their apps in the Photography category have strong similitude with other top 25 apps.
In August MobileCrunch exposed a PR firm with top tier publishers portfolio, who included posting positive reviews in the AppStore within their marketing services. PCWorld has echoed unethical practices of developers rating low their competitors.
UPDATE 8/12/09 Many blogs are mentioning the story
UPDATE 9/12/09 Here is a thank you note and all the mentions
Reader Comments (8)
Keep us updated on this. They sell over 1,000 apps and it would be bad if they cant support the app once they are gone. FOLLOW THE RULES DEVELOPERS...And to think this is an entire company whose financial security depends on iPhone apps... just throwing it away.
For any of us it's only $2, but in those terms, something had to be done. Nice Appavice also covers it http://bit.ly/4NVona
So that's what, 1,000 banned "apps"? what's left are 99,000 fart apps, that were so so closely scrutinized. Are we really sure that those 99,000 fart apps make fart sounds, maybe 40,000 make burp sounds?
Most of the apps are rubbish, There are some useful ones however, this is no loss.
'Similitude'? Is that similarity with attitude?
@Doug, likeness I guess.I have added a list of webs and blog mentioning the story. It has been a record of visits for appfreakblog.com Thanks!
Seems like the problem is in the AppStore itself. There shouldn't be a toplist in the first place, and reviews shouldn't be able to be made. AppStore needs to be remade.
why is Molinker back?????They just changed the name to Feng and changed the icon name and app theme. All the content is exactly the same, why does Apple allow them back after what they did before???http://itunes.apple.com/ca/artist/feng/id354108897