A couple of customers have emailed us about dishpointer being released for the Android OS (with iPhone screenshots, no less) and asked if we’re going to port DishLoc. The quick answer is ‘No’. The long answer is ‘Maybe’. It really depends on the feedback we get from potential customers. Right now we’re working on something a bit more advanced than DishLoc so we’d like to focus our efforts on that, but if the market is there, we’d of course do a port.
We’ve also been informed that some of our more zealous supporters have been posting links to the OSNews article whenever they see dishpointer mentioned. Please stop doing this at once!
Just kidding! I think they deserve it for the underhanded way they tried to get us off the app store, and I think its perfectly reasonable to want consumers to know about the people they’re buying from. If company A tried to force company B out of the computer sales market by lying to the computer parts supplier, would you feel good about buying computers from them?
I emailed Apple Legal about how DP Technologies does not have a patent, and hasn’t even filed one yet. I also mentioned that its not possible to mistake one app for the other, so their claims on coping their UI elements is hardly a valid argument.
So far, no response, other then that our app has NOT been removed from the app store. Hopefully someone inside of Apple got into a bit of trouble over this, and they’re establishing more reasonable guidelines about threatening App removal based on infringement complaints. (Like seeing if there is any basis for it?)
Anyone want to send us a Droid? We’d be happy to bring this app to the Android platform. 
Hey, there’s a story up on osnews about our little fiasco:
How Apple Handles App Store Infringement Complaints: Badly
Hopefully this will shame DP Technologies into emailing apple to rescind their complaint, and our app won’t be removed. Be nice if Apple changed their policy about infringement claims as well.
Alan has a blog about dishpointer as well if anyone’s interested. He also has a forum for dishpointer.
If anyone’s interested in DishLoc, its on the iTunes App Store at least for now.
No wonder I didn’t get any hits. 
Linked to the main DishLoc.com page now.
Err… I meant ‘More on’. Ok, maybe I didn’t.
No response yet from DP Technologies.
Anyone have any ideas? Bueller? Bueller?
Quick talk with a lawyer to make sure we’re on solid ground here, and then sent dp tech this email:
We just received this email and I wanted to clear this up before it becomes an embarrassment to you. Before going further, I’d like to point out a few things:
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It seems that our competition, DP Technologies Ltd, seems to think that we are infringing on their rights. Here’s their complaint, sent to me by Apple, requesting me to make whatever changes necessary:
The disputed developer copied design elements and functionality from our app DishPointer AR Pro and DishPointer Maps. In particular, showing the clarke belt and satellites on the camera preview is propriatary to us for which we are filing a patent. Showing a street map and displaying alignment lines on top of that map is also propriatery to us. Please remove infringing app from store.
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This version has varying degrees of usability for various iPhone/iPod Touches. The 3GS has everything of course, since its the only one with a built-in compass, and only a device with a camera can use the augmented reality view. Its available here:
http://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/dishloc/id333137594?mt=8
As promised, here’s some screenshots, and a bit of information on each: (more…)
Got my first App Store rejection letter. Luckily they pointed out exactly what was wrong, so I fixed it immediately, and re-submitted. I also sent them a nice letter thanking them for their feedback. It never hurts to be polite, right?
For those wondering, when you’re in the Google Maps view, if you don’t have a network connection, you just get a blank screen. They wanted me to put some kind of notice that the blank screen is due to no network connectivity. This has been added.
Yes, DishLoc 2.0 has been submitted. I know I promised screenshots, but reconsidered it. No sense giving our competition features to copy, eh? He’ll do it soon enough. I’ll keep you updated here.