[UPDATE:1/28/2015 5:00 Central time] Google finally reinstated our app, after filing yet another counter notice. We’re glad to have Camfrog Video Chat back available to our members

Don’t DMCA Me Bro!

That’s a sight no small business or app developer wants to wake up to, but that’s what happened with us.

It all started with a copycat app using our name, logo, and even using our screenshots

When we found that, we did what any business or app developer would do. We made the mistake of using Google’s Legal Removal Request forms to try to have the infringing app removed from the Google Play Store.

Google’s Legal Removal Request form even included links to resources and sample takedown requests. Unfortunately those were all dead links, however the form was simple and easy to understand, so we went ahead to try to have the infringing app removed. We even made sure to add extra lines in the “infringing content URL” form fields to report the logo, as well as our trademarked name.

Several hours later that night, we got the email of doom:

Yes, Google had removed our own app, meanwhile leaving the fake app in the Play Store. We immediately went into panic mode, considering our app has over 10,000 downloads per day, and is a significant portion of our active users, so we did the only thing we could, and filed our first counter notice, to our own takedown request.

We never heard anything back, so over the weekend, proceeded to file 2 more counter notices, from 2 different forms. Finally, we filled out yet another counter notice form, and a quick 3 hours later, finally received a response from Google. Not quite what we were hoping for:

“We will not be reinstating your app.”

The mighty juggernaut that is Google, will not allow our app in the Google Play Store. Due to copyright infringement. Of our own copyrights.

We have filed yet another counter notice to our most recent rejection, and have been awaiting further response for several hours. We hope that Google will do the right thing, and reinstate Camfrog Video Chat back to the Play Store immediately.

Update: The fake app has finally been [partially] removed from the Google Play Store. We are still working to have other confusing and fake apps removed, as well as having our app reinstated