3 ms·

Solving the problem of shady extensions impersonating real extensions is pretty tricky. You could require trademark registration or something like that, or go w

Solving the problem of shady extensions impersonating real extensions is pretty tricky. You could require trademark registration or something like that, or go with a first-come-first-serve policy, but those are both trivially exploited and raise the barrier to entry for small developers. The best you could do is just employ a bunch of very skilled review staff to look over individual extensions and try to figure out whether they are sketchy, but that is a difficult problem. On the iOS and Android app stores, a not-uncommon problem is that shady actors will claim the name of an upcoming app or game before it releases on the store, which makes it hard for the actual product to get added when it launches. In some cases this has forced a developer to rename their title.

jneplokh 6y ago
I do not have much experience, with app/extension regulation of course, but I can imagine how it can get extremely difficult. Especially when you have so many users and developers. Even Apple's $99 fee does not prevent a ton of shady apps. > shady actors will claim the name of an upcoming app Huh, never heard of this. Do you have any links/readings about that?
- kevingadd 6y ago
  https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/316145/IGF_Awardwinning_Baba_Is_You_cloned_before_it_was_even_released.php https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/316145/IGF_Awardwinning_... Another story I don't have an easily accessible news link for: A chinese game studio launched US and Japanese versions of their title, and their original Japanese business partner registered the trademark themselves and tried to extort them with it. In the end they found a new partner and renamed the title (so it has a unique Japan-only name separate from the name used in other regions)
  - jneplokh 6y ago
    Interesting, thanks for sharing. I saw a tweet the other day about tricks to get around an app having the same name. Seems to be a somewhat common struggle.
forgotmypw17 6y ago
f-droid seems to manage, somehow, even as a volunteer effort...

jneplokh 6y ago

I do not have much experience, with app/extension regulation of course, but I can imagine how it can get extremely difficult. Especially when you have so many users and developers. Even Apple's $99 fee does not prevent a ton of shady apps. > shady actors will claim the name of an upcoming app Huh, never heard of this. Do you have any links/readings about that?

kevingadd 6y ago
https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/316145/IGF_Awardwinning_Baba_Is_You_cloned_before_it_was_even_released.php https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/316145/IGF_Awardwinning_... Another story I don't have an easily accessible news link for: A chinese game studio launched US and Japanese versions of their title, and their original Japanese business partner registered the trademark themselves and tried to extort them with it. In the end they found a new partner and renamed the title (so it has a unique Japan-only name separate from the name used in other regions)
- jneplokh 6y ago
  Interesting, thanks for sharing. I saw a tweet the other day about tricks to get around an app having the same name. Seems to be a somewhat common struggle.

forgotmypw17 6y ago

f-droid seems to manage, somehow, even as a volunteer effort...