Pirated Android apps featured prominently on Aliyun app store

Over the past few days, Google and Alibaba have argued over whether Alibaba's Aliyun OS is a ripoff of Android. But one thing does not seem to be in dispute: the Aliyun app store is hosting a bunch of pirated Android applications.

When Acer attempted to release a phone running Aliyun OS, Google objected, telling Acer it would lose the privileges it gets as a member of the Open Handset Alliance. OHA membership bars members from releasing non-compatible versions of Android. Alibaba claims Aliyun is not really a version of Android, but Alibaba has not disputed Android chief Andy Rubin's assertion that the Aliyun app store "contains Android apps (including pirated Google apps)."

A search for "Google" on the Aliyun store turns up what appear to be numerous copies of official Google applications, including Google Drive, Google Books, and Google Sky Map:

Given Google's disdain towards Aliyun, it's fair to say Google didn't authorize distribution of those apps. We've been in touch with Alibaba, and while the company has been quick to dispute Google's assertion that Aliyun is just an incompatible fork of Android, Alibaba did not reply to repeated questions about whether its store hosts pirated Android apps.

Of course, even Google's official Android store has had to deal with pirated and renamed versions of legitimate software. But Aliyun seems to highlight them prominently. This screenshot from the front page of the Aliyun store shows multiple versions of Angry Birds, Temple Run, and Eternity Warriors 2:

The developers listed are not the ones who actually made the apps. We contacted the makers of the three apps we listed above. Temple Run Creator Keith Shepherd of Imangi Studios responded and told us "I don't recognize the vendor. Looks pirated to me." The version of Temple Run on Aliyun's app store uses the same screenshots that appear on the official Google Play store.

The pirated apps can be downloaded as APK files (the standard Android application file format), and watermarks indicate that many originate from another "pirate site" in China called Nduoa, according to this excellent analysis of the Aliyun app store posted by Android Police. The site also said it received confirmation from several game developers that they did not give consent for their apps to be distributed on Aliyun's app store.

We also noticed at least one app description on Aliyun that shows what are clearly iPhone screenshots.

For Open Handset Alliance members, there's only one Android

There are certainly multiple versions and forks of the open source Android, for example the software used on Amazon's Kindle Fire, and Barnes & Noble's Nook tablets. But neither of those companies are members of Google's Open Handset Alliance, and don't have to play by the same rules that Acer does. Google is trying to prevent incompatible versions of Android, and argues that Aliyun's use of the "Android runtime, framework and tools" certainly makes it a version of Android.

Alibaba argues otherwise, telling Ars in a statement: "Aliyun OS incorporates its own virtual machine, which is different from Android's Dalvik virtual machine. Aliyun OS' runtime environment, which is the core of the OS, consists of both its own Java virtual machine, which is different from Android’s Dalvik virtual machine, and its own cloud app engine, which supports HTML5 web applications. Aliyun OS uses some of the Android application framework and tools (open source) merely as a patch to allow Aliyun OS users to enjoy third-party apps in addition to the cloud-based Aliyun apps in our ecosystem."

But there seems to be no disputing that Aliyun is distributing pirated versions of Android applications, and Alibaba has so far chosen not to answer our questions on this topic. While the pirated applications aren't the only reason Google doesn't want a hardware partner releasing Aliyun phones, they certainly give Android's owner more incentive to take a stand.