Google launches official Licensing Service for Android apps, Developers rejoice

[wuyanks]

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There's no denying it: piracy on the Android platform is rampant. And there really is little developers can do to protect their applications. Well, developers, your woes should be subsided somewhat, as today, Google launched an official licensing service for applications. By simply inputting code provided by Google, you will give your application the ability to check with Google servers in real-time, and see if the user actually purchased the app. If not, the user will be denied access to the application. For you workflow geeks, check out the diagram here:

Eric Chu, Android ecosystem developer, explains how it works:

This simple and free service provides a secure mechanism to manage access to all Android Market paid applications targeting Android 1.5 or higher. At run time, with the inclusion of a set of libraries provided by us, your application can query the Android Market licensing server to determine the license status of your users. It returns information on whether your users are authorized to use the app based on stored sales records... This licensing service operating real time over the network provides more flexibility in choosing license-enforcement strategies, and a more secure approach in protecting your applications from unauthorized use, than copy protection.

Now, we are unsure how an application will be validated to run if the user is not connected to the Internet. But all in all, this should let developers rest a bit easier. Check out the source link to see how you can take advantage of the new licensing service now.

source: Android Developer's Blog
Graphic courtesy of SpreadShirt
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[icculusX]

What if you do what I do also, I buy an app, take the APK and theme the graphics how I want then resign it and install it... I mean, I am doing nothing illegal because I bought it. Will this method be affected at all by this?

 

[infinity8x3]

Great we take another blow thanks to the pirates. So long plying games in airplane mode to save battery.

Good bye my thoughts of keeping my droid after upgrading to a new phone. I wont keep the droid activated.

Hello DRM the bane of pc gaming.

I don't pirate but I know how good hackers are and I really hope they can by pass this, not for them but for us honest joe's that are getting stiffed again.

 

[kodiak799]

Sounds like it is a one-time validation every time you boot or install.

My guess is the old apk's continue to work as before, so long as you avoid updating which would include the new validation model. But when you wipe data and flash a rom, it's going to automatically install the latest apk from market.

 

[kodiak799]

Nevermind...says run time, so I guess every time you run the app. Yeah, what happens when you are actually ON an airplane and want to play a game or use some apps you downloaded/stored data for offline use?

 

[icculusX]

Nevermind...says run time, so I guess every time you run the app. Yeah, what happens when you are actually ON an airplane and want to play a game or use some apps you downloaded/stored data for offline use?

I woudl like to know also, however I know like 99% that apps will work if on airplane or something. Otherwise android would REALLY be hurting itself...

 

[azazin]

Nevermind...says run time, so I guess every time you run the app. Yeah, what happens when you are actually ON an airplane and want to play a game or use some apps you downloaded/stored data for offline use?

I woudl like to know also, however I know like 99% that apps will work if on airplane or something. Otherwise android would REALLY be hurting itself...

Gameloft already implement a similar anti-piracy method to this, basically when you install a cracked app whlist on non-aeroplane mode it simply won't work because they check that you don't have the license.

 

[qoncept]

Great we take another blow thanks to the pirates. So long plying games in airplane mode to save battery.

Google absolutely has to make a provision for that. They aren't idiots. The way I imagine is it pings the authentication server, and if it can't get a response it lets you run the app.

So I'd imagine a rooted phone with a firewall or modified hosts file can easily "disable" authentication.

 

[jntdroid]

so yesterday, the dev's cringed, today they rejoice

what an emotional roller coaster!

 

[wuyanks]

so yesterday, the dev's cringed, today they rejoice

what an emotional roller coaster!

haha, figuring out titles is the toughest part!

 

[Bear in NM]

Oh boy, this gonna really suck if the apps must query "at run time". In the quote, the official explanation uses the words "developers can" in describing the process. perhaps indicating an option for dev's. I do not pirate apps, but live, work and play in about a 50/50 3g no 3g area. This could be bad for me, and folks like me. Not gonna get worked up about it, but will keep an eye towards the changes. This potentially goes way beyond folks wanting to do "stuff" while on an airplane.

Craig

 

[infinity8x3]

This potentially goes way beyond folks wanting to do "stuff" while on an airplane.

I know right. I will continue to support all dev's who won't choose to use this kind of DRM, and will personally boycott all dev's that will.

I understand there right to not have there work stolen, but C'mon this is over kill for phone app's.

Hopefully it is not a bandwagon most dev's will jump on, or we will be able to combat against it with custom rom's.

 

[TuBitMittens]

I am guilty as charged...

 

[TuBitMittens]

I am guilty as charged...

I hope soon android will use the method that apple uses when buying apps, where you can pay it off later cuz I don't have a credit card. lol that way I can easily pay my father back and not have to bother him each time I wanna by an app. yes, I'm an 18 year old kid with no job, go ahead laugh.:icon_ banana:

 

[synic]

If I understand this right, and I'm almost 99% sure I do, is that:

It's completely up to the app developer to decide what happens when there is no internet connection, how often it checks for a valid license, and what happens when the check fails.

The developer of the app itself is the one that has to implement this system that connects to the Google servers to check for a valid license. This means that they can make it check whenever they want.. after you first install, or every 5 minutes, or once a week.

This system leaves the options pretty wide open.