Is there a law restricting me from porting a non-my app to another mobile OS?

Question

Law in IT

The question arose, there is an application on Android, there are no exact analogues on iOS. Can I port this application myself, copying the entire interface and functionality, to iOS? Is this application protected by any laws, patents, morality? And is it possible to somehow protect your applications from such copying?

Answer 1

Copy functionality - yes, the markets of both operating systems are simply full of analogues. But it is no longer worth duplicating the interface completely, this is only with the consent of the author of the original application. If the application is free and you will distribute it for free, there will be no problems. Otherwise, it at least violates moral principles. If you really want to, analyze the shortcomings of the application and write an analogue, but do not copy one to one. It's not that difficult.

Answer 2

Functionality, IMHO, can be copied without question. The principles of the interface (let's say the division of functionality into N screens and grouping it by screens) too. But the appearance cannot be copied, neither completely, nor in such a way that it is clear that your interface (the audiovisual display generated by the program) is only a reworked original. Text messages (in particular control labels) - not sure. One by one, it seems that they are not objects of AP, but their totality can be considered (the court may consider) preparatory materials for the program or, in general, a separate literary work. It probably makes sense to write down possible usage scenarios (“On the main screen, the user selects a track name from the list, starts playing it, the program plays the track”) and implement it without regard to the original interface.
This is all according to Russian laws. If you focus on the international market or specific countries, then everything is more difficult.

Answer 3

Copyright law. As for the rights to the interface and the principles of interaction, this is decided differently in different countries. In the USA, for example, there are precedents when copying an interface (in order to release competing software with a similar interface) was considered a violation, and there are times when it was not.
The information stored in the program may also be protected by the law on the protection of the database.
Copying/wrapping code using reverse engineering, decompilation, emulation, and other tricks would be a clear violation.

Answer 4

Copyright has not been canceled, and what you want to do will be its violation.

Answer 5

Find the license under which the original product is distributed and read the description.
Maybe there is a free modification when using the author's name with comments.