Apple Forces Android App Off The Google Play Store

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Unlike on iOS, it’s easy to change your homescreen’s theme on Android without a jailbreak using apps like Themer. Well, at least it was: Google has pulled Themer from the Google Play Store following a copyright complaint from Apple, which made Android devices look almost identical to iOS 7.

Apple’s complaint was that the ‘Seven’ theme — one of over 200 themes available in the Themrere app — infringed its IP, and although CEO and Themer co-founder Ashvin Dhingra says that his company removed the ‘Seven’ them almost immediately following the complaints, his app is still dead in the water.

Speaking to Techcrunch, Dhingra said:

“We immediately removed [the Seven] theme and thought that, at worst, Themer would be back on Play in a few days. But now a week later, we’re facing the possibility that a few days might turn into a few weeks.

We’ve spoken to legal representatives from Apple (who have been very nice, reasonable, and helpful), and they have no remaining concerns. But apparently, Google has a process for these things, and there’s nothing we can do to accelerate that process. Unfortunately, we still have not heard from anyone at Google.”

Why not? Although Apple responds relatively quickly to queries relating to disputes, Google seemingly has no point of contact for whom IP issues relating to the Google Play store can be resolved.