Apple has pulled an app called AppVault Pro (and its AppVault Lite free version) from the App Store after the makers of the competing AppBox Pro (and AppBox Lite) filed a copyright infringement claim with Apple. In their complaint, the makers of AppBox claimed that AppVault's developers had copied their ideas, layout, and features from AppBox, and it would seem that Apple agreed, as the app was pulled from the App Store.
From that complaint: "They have just same graphics, layouts and features with different color for Ruler, Level, Battery, Tip Calc, Periodic Calc, and more in the AppBox Pro. Comparing the home screen of the AppVault Lite and the AppBox Lite, we know where their ideas comes from and how they made it. It is apparently infringing the copyright of the AppBox Pro and the AppBox Lite."
In a post on the AppVault site, the developers complained about the decision. While they acknowledged the similarities between the app, they defended AppVault by claiming that it had more features.
"We covered as many apps as they did and more, so as to be a superset of AppBox," the company said in its post. "We spent a lot of time to make AppVault far superior. We took existing ideas and expanded on them -- with tons of cool new features not seen in AppBox. We came up with an amazing and beautifully designed app, and offered many apps not present in AppBox such as an iTunes Alarm Clock, Parking Buddy, Bible, and Guitar Machine. Our customers loved us for it and the App Store rewarded us with a meteoric rise."
The group has launched a petition drive to get AppVault back on the App Store.