StoneLoops pull-down: copyright infringement or getting rid of the competition?

Codeminion got an unpleasant surprise recently when their loop-rolling puzzle game, StoneLoops! of Jurassica, was pulled from the App Store. Why? Mumbo Jumbo filed a complaint to the App Store for infringing the copyright to their game Luxor, and even stealing their source code. Codeminion, however, can’t believe the complaint since similar games released long before Luxor have not said anything.

Codeminion got an unpleasant surprise recently when their loop-rolling puzzle game, StoneLoops! of Jurassica, was pulled from the App Store. Why? MumboJumbo filed a complaint to the App Store for infringing the copyright to their game Luxor, and even stealing their source code. Codeminion, however, can’t believe the complaint since similar games released long before Luxor have not said anything.

“About 3 weeks ago we have learned that Mumbo Jumbo supplied Apple with a formal complaint and a request to remove StoneLoops! from the AppStore,” wrote Codeminion co-founder Maciej Biedrzycki on his blog. “The reason? Infringing Luxor copyright, confusing customers, stealing LuxorÂ’s look & feel and even stealing their source code!”

Luxor, on the other hand, is not the first of its kind. PopCap games released Zuma back in 2003, while Puzz Loop has been around since 1998 and is also in the App Store. “I wonder what happens when Zuma launches in the AppStore. Will PopCap request to remove Luxor with similar claims? Such case would be identical,” Biedrzycki wrote on his post entitled, “Where is StoneLoops? Or how to get rid of your competition in the Apple AppStore?”

The original StoneLoops game came around about three years after the first Luxor. But as far as the App Store was concerned, StoneLoops! of Jurassica got there first, several months ahead of Luxor. When Luxor came in in August, it was only then did MumboJumbo submit their complaint.

Most ironically, Codeminion Development Studios initially went to MumboJumbo for publishing before they landed with Playcreek. MumboJumbo got a good look at StoneLoops even before it was released, but made no advice regarding copyright infringement.

Now our story remains with StoneLoops! of Jurassica out of the App Store. Copyright tussle in the works? Or is MumboJumbo just cooking up some actual mumbo jumbo to get their competition out of the way?

Your thoughts?

• Hotdog Down a Hallway game pulled from App Store
• Baby Shaker app taken down from App Store, Apple and Sikaloft apologize
  

Via AppAdvice