App Store Online?

A bootleg version of the App Store has hit the web. The website looks almost exactly the same as the desktop App Store, parsing XML code directly from iTunes. Created through Google's App Engine, AppSpot is not blazing any trails with this site. There are many other sites out there that let you peruse the App Store's goods sans iTunes or iPhone, but this seems to be the first to directly mirror Apple's store front decor. The creator of one similar site, App Beacon, speculates:

Surprisingly AppSpot is NOT using the iTunes affiliate program. You can tell by looking at their "View in iTunes" link. It goes directly to iTunes without an affiliate ID. It also does NOT use a redirect like most sites do. This is usually used for tracking purposes. When this is used, a packet sniffer can tell you if the affiliate link is being used. Perhaps, AppSpot applied for the affiliate program and was denied because their site too closely resembles iTunes? Maybe they just haven't been approved yet?

How long this site will last is ultimately up to Apple, and will be a good barometer of the company's tolerance for counterfeiters.

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