Apple Fighting Back Against In App Purchase Hack, But Service Still Operational

[geoffm33]

Not if you stole it, but if you copied it so we both got a perfect copy of the car i would gladly give that to you for free.

What if you built the car and it cost you $15,000. And you would gladly make a copy for anyone that is willing to pay you, say, $50.

And you are hoping you can get enough people to buy it at $50 to recoup development costs, invest in future car production and make a profit for yourself (you don't work for free you know!).

How many people are you willing to let walk away with a copy of your car for free?

EDIT: Just because someone claims they would never have paid you in the first place would not factor in my decision making to answer that question.

 

[gnasher729]

I feel sorry for Alexey Borodin. He has no moral centre.

I'm wondering if there is something mentally wrong with him. Apart from the moral side, if I had written this then surely I would start thinking now. Maybe not whether what I'm doing is wrong, but whether what I'm doing is getting me into serious trouble. One likely consequence of his actions is "never being able to set foot into the USA or Western Europe", but worse things might happen.

It’s just plain wrong and must end, but on the other hand when you think there are some games where these so called developers are just extorting money from people that play those games plain and simple.

There is one good example in that video where this russian chap shows how it’s working. 19.99 for some crazy ass points in app purchase? Seriuosly?

Why would that be "extorting money"? Is there anyone forcing you to buy "crazy ass points"? If you think that these "crazy ass points" are not worth 19.99, which they probably aren't, then don't buy and play the game without, and if the game is no fun without these points, then delete the game.

 

[tbrinkma]

Unfortunately, Apple can't just go to your bank accounts and take all your money. It would be a mess of Civil lawsuits that I doubt Apple is going to pursue.

Way to miss the OP's point.

I don't think he was suggesting that *Apple* would be the one to do it. If you use this hack, you're sending your iTunes account info to a guy who has absolutely no qualms about ripping people off. What on earth would lead you to believe that he wouldn't rip *you* off?

 

[thelink]

I do hope you're being sarcastic.

Of course...hence the "rolleyes"

 

[vsighi]

Free Alexey!

I think your SOVIET lover is free and well...you can email him .i..

 

[notyourattorney]

What makes you think this is a criminal matter. Wherever he lives it will likely be considered as a civil matter.

Among other U.S. criminal laws he is violating, he is certainly committing wire fraud, which applies outside the U.S.

BTW, its not "theft" in any kind of legal sense.

Yes, it is. Assuming he's actually used his own system, he's committed intellectual property theft. Even if he hasn't, he's guilty of theft through accomplice and/or conspiracy principles.

 

[gnasher729]

The police?

What makes you think this is a criminal matter. Wherever he lives it will likely be considered as a civil matter.

BTW, its not "theft" in any kind of legal sense.

Not theft. But if you use this to convince the servers of company X to give you something without paying, then you can be sure that this falls straight under computer hacking laws which are definitely not a civil matter. It will also quite likely fall under fraud, since you tricked them into giving you service for free.

 

[kustardking]

am I the only one who feels like news/rumors sites shouldn't be posting about this... This is only drawing attention to it and tempting more people to steal from these hard working developers.

...and it informs the un-evil builders of tomorrow who will need to prevent this kind of cheat in the future. Using information-hiding to make a "better world" is a dangerous tack to take. I don't believe in the full spilling of all information at all times, but this is not a matter of national security.

 

[justperry]

Isn't that every country? Some are just more open about it than others.

Erm, No.

Maybe where you are from but I am originally from The Netherlands and it's rare there and so is it in many Northern European countries.
If I paid a bribe to the police in Holland I would be in huge trouble, not so much here, that is, until now I never did.
But, to speed up things my girlfriend pays a bit extra for my visa, cigarette money.

 

[JAT]

it is totally ridiculous, even the Lion upgrade which I bought 2 days ago for $29.99 that is quite an affordable price, and you get a top quality OS or apps. Customers who pay for their stuff are the ones that allow apple to keep developing better applications and OS, come on, they dont get paid, there's poor or no development at all. Isn't that encouraging enough to go pay for the software you get?

I hope that was for a computer that can't run Mountain Lion.

 

[AppleGuesser]

I hope that was for a computer that can't run Mountain Lion.

Me too. You can jump from SL on 10.6.8 to ML 10.8 if your Mac can run ML. No reason to spend money on an old OS that will be outdated in a week or two.

 

[NewAnger]

I hope the thieving sh**s have their bank accounts wiped out via their iTunes credentials that are exposed.

This hack has been enabled so that user logs out of his/her account before doing anything. The instructions say to do the purchase and then login using any made up user name and password. It never uses the persons real Apple ID to make the in app purchases.

 

[Earendil]

This kind of reasoning totally escapes, at least for me, any form of logic one subscribes to. "Let's show people, specifically and in detail, how to X, it will certainly discourage people from doing X. ?????????????

I think you and a few others didn't read the entire article, or read it very well.
The information is already out there. What MacRumors and other sites are doing is giving the entire story, which is that this man gets your iTunes account info and password when you use his "service". I don't think any sane person that reads the MacRumors article, even if they had zero moral issues with stealing, would actually procede to use it based on all the info that is provided.

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It's like posting "The combination to the vault at your local bank is 32-16-50, but we recommend that you don't use this information. You could get caught"

Sure it's possible to rob a bank without the combination and its possible that you could get caught, but it's only encouraging a large audience of people to go rob that bank now.

You either didn't read the entire article, or you're not very good with analogies

This is more like saying:
"Someone on the street is telling people that the combination to the corner convenience store vault is 32-16-50. The information is correct, but be warned that if you try and use it that your wallet will be taken from you."

This also allows all the small time devs to get a handle on what is going on, and take action if they are capable or care.

 

[s15119]

"For now, however, the service remains operational. "

It's not a service. It's a criminal enterprise.

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am I the only one who feels like news/rumors sites shouldn't be posting about this... This is only drawing attention to it and tempting more people to steal from these hard working developers.

I agree, I think it serves to directly assist the criminal enterprise. I also think it's deliberate.

 

[Earendil]

"For now, however, the service remains operational. "

It's not a service. It's a criminal enterprise.

It's a service regardless of its legality. Criminal Enterprises often times provide services.

I agree, I think it serves to directly assist the criminal enterprise. I also think it's deliberate.

How?! How is stating quite clearly that this is an illegal action that will result in a Russian Hacker having your iTunes account login and password in ANY way persuading anyone but the illiterate and incredibly stupid to go for this?

If you think that giving access to your account to an admitted criminal is worth saving $2 on the next set of Angry Birds levels, then you are a very silly person indeed. I'll tell you what, if you email me your account info and password I'll give you $20 to upgrade with. I will then use your account to download media until your account is locked due to insufficient funds. Fair trade, right?

 

[ChazUK]

This hack has been enabled so that user logs out of his/her account before doing anything. The instructions say to do the purchase and then login using any made up user name and password. It never uses the persons real Apple ID to make the in app purchases.

Thanks for explaining that. I hadn't realised those changes had been made to make it "safer".

 

[huffboy]

Cook please call up Putin to hunt this criminal down and send him to the firing squad. These kind of people are no different from thieves.

 

[ironpony]

Yes, I believe this is wrong.
But, can buying an app then having to make an in app purchase to use the app a form of bait and switch?
Does the money go directly to the developers or to the itunes store then to the developers. I think they may be directly robbing Apple. Not sure.

If I gave someone permissioon to sell copies and 1,000 were missing do I go to whom I gave permisssion or who received the product.
Again, I think they are robbing Apple.

Wow, what might Apple be able to do to an individual.

There should be a movie coming out of this.

This Russian is probably having a blast. (again it is wrong)

OK, wheres the new iPhones, I'm ready already.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

am I the only one who feels like news/rumors sites shouldn't be posting about this... This is only drawing attention to it and tempting more people to steal from these hard working developers.

I am on the other side and think should for no other reason that to kick Apple into action. Apple tends not to fix a lot of things until the media starts reporting on it.

This was the right move because noticed how fast Apple went into action after being notificed. The hole could of been reported months before hand and Apple does nothing.

 

[Rennir]

Cook please call up Putin to hunt this criminal down and send him to the firing squad. These kind of people are no different from thieves.

So all thieves should be subject to capital punishment now? Slow down there bud.

 

[geoffm33]

Yes, I believe this is wrong.
But, can buying an app then having to make an in app purchase to use the app a form of bait and switch?

No, it isn't. All in-app purchases are listed in the app store along with the product they relate to. I haven't seen an app yet that is unusable unless you make a further purchase (not that they don't exist, I just haven't seen one.)

Does the money go directly to the developers or to the itunes store then to the developers. I think they may be directly robbing Apple. Not sure.

The money for IAP are split 70/30 just like the original app purchase.

If I gave someone permissioon to sell copies and 1,000 were missing do I go to whom I gave permisssion or who received the product.
Again, I think they are robbing Apple.

Those that perform this method of obtaining IAP are robbing the devs and Apple.

Wow, what might Apple be able to do to an individual.

Not sure what you mean here?

There should be a movie coming out of this.
This Russian is probably having a blast. (again it is wrong)
OK, wheres the new iPhones, I'm ready already.

Would not make for a very good movie, at all.

 

[C.G.B. Spender]

Why would that be "extorting money"? Is there anyone forcing you to buy "crazy ass points"? If you think that these "crazy ass points" are not worth 19.99, which they probably aren't, then don't buy and play the game without, and if the game is no fun without these points, then delete the game.

If you don’t like this „service“ don’t use it. Good enough?

 

[boyd1955]

Perhaps it will stop a lot of these spam producers producing these crap apps ... Apple keep on pushing this idea that there are so many apps for things ... Yeah ... Right ... Nearly all of them are complete rubbish
There's literally about 200 that are of any use whatsoever
Don't pay for them guys
Down 'em and delete them when you realise what a waste of space they are

 

[charlituna]

This hack has been enabled so that user logs out of his/her account before doing anything. The instructions say to do the purchase and then login using any made up user name and password. It never uses the persons real Apple ID to make the in app purchases.

Now yes. But it seems originally you were sending a legit id and password.

 

[gnasher729]

If you don’t like this „service“ don’t use it. Good enough?

If you want to use this "service" and turn yourself into a criminal, that's your decision. Good enough?