After OpenAI launched the invitation-only video generation mobile app Sora, the Apple App Store was quickly flooded with fake applications. These apps stole the name "Sora" and even used "Sora2" as their names, successfully bypassing Apple's review mechanism and being openly listed.
Fake Applications Overflow: Installed 300,000 Times, Earned $160,000
According to research provided by application intelligence platform Appfigures to TechCrunch, after the official Sora application was released, more than a dozen applications with the "Sora" brand logo quickly appeared on the App Store, with over half directly named "Sora2". Notably, these counterfeit applications (including those on Google Play) were not all new; some had existed as early as last year or early this year, but they were quickly updated and renamed after the official Sora application was released, taking advantage of the surge in search demand.
Appfigures data shows that although the official Sora mobile application has been downloaded over 1 million times, the total installation volume of these counterfeit applications has reached approximately 300,000 so far, with over 80,000 installations occurring after the official Sora application was released. They have generated revenue exceeding $160,000.
Review Vulnerabilities: Apple Has Removed Some Applications, But Chaos Still Exists
The application with the highest installation volume among the counterfeit ones is named "Sora2 - AI Video Generator", which saw its installation volume exceed 50,000 after the official application was launched, clearly setting up a trap for the "sora" keyword search on the App Store.
It is still unclear how these applications managed to bypass Apple's trademark review. Although Apple eventually removed most of them, as of the time of writing, several Sora-branded applications are still operating, such as "PetReels — Sora for Pets" and "Viral AI Photo Maker: Vi-sora". Another application named "Sora2– Video Generator Ai" has been downloaded more than 6,000 times and is still growing.
For inquiries about how Sora-branded applications were published and whether remaining counterfeit applications will be removed, Apple has not yet responded.
