Did Apple rip off a developer's "Breathe" app?

WWDC 2016, the annual event that Apple organised for developers developing for Apple products and consumers that are interested in buying the latest and greatest from the company, started yesterday. Apple announced the latest versions of iOS 10, watchOS 3, macOS Sierra, tvOS along with new apps like Apple Home, Apple Pay on web. The tech giant also opening up Siri to third-party developers. Apple Messages and Apple Music got a revamped treatment where the basic fundamentals of the app were tweaked to make it fit for the modern app ecosystem.

Apple also announced an app called “Breathe"for Apple Watch that will notify users to relax and breathe, putting a special emphasis on the need to meditate and relax during the hectic lives that most people lead. Ironically, a developer Ben Erez accused Apple of ripping off the app from his own app which has been available in Apple Store since 2015. He alleged that Apple even ripped the name of the app. When we checked the app in App Store and went through the description and screenshots of the App, it did seem that both apps were strikingly similar in terms of names and functionality. The functionality as explained by Ben’s App on the  breathe website  and the functionality reported by Time website on Apple’s offering are essentially the same.

It is surprising that a feature this elaborate can be the same offered by an app on the App Store. Apple has not issued any statement to address the accusations at the time of writing but we will keep a watch on the issue for any fresh development.