Pirates Invade iPhone App Store

Pirates have struck the iPhone app store and cracked roughly one in five paid applications for online distribution, Wired reports. At least 5,000 apps are circulating on the Internet, says one analytics company, which found dozens of apps that are downloaded only once for every 100 cracked copies. "It's a real problem that developers, Apple and the community need to address," said one expert.

Pirated apps circulate openly on websites like Appulo.us, which offers 3,200 cracked applications, and The Monkeys Ball. "We want people to think of these as trial apps since Apple doesn't allow trials of apps before purchase," said a creator of The Monkeys Ball. "It's Apple's fault for not putting up a trials system." Apple also has no anti-piracy security in its app store. "It is like the Wild West," said one designer. (More iPhone stories.)