How does Play Store alteregos like AppAware display apps?

[erdomester]

Hi,

We have a very special idea about a new Play Store alterego. We would display Android apps in a dedicated app just like AppAware, 1Mobile Market, AppSales, Appsfire, but in a special way. However, we don't know if we can display the apps without the developers' permission.


Do these apps scrape Play Store for data and display the apps without the permission of the developers or do they ask developers if they can use their apps? Considering these apps provide users with thousands of apps, I don't think they mail all developers.


What do you think? Can this be done? Is there a risk that a developer sues these apps for using his app without his exact permission? These apps have 500,000-1,000,000 downloads which mean they are very popular.


Thanks,

 

[Hadron]

If you are planning direct downloads, rather than just providing links to the Play Store, you do need the developers' permission. It would be a breach of the developers' copyright to distribute their apps without their consent, even if they are distributed for free in authorised stores (it goes without saying for paid apps).

I'm not sure where you'd stand if instead you provided links to an authorized distributor, such as the Play Store, for the actual download. But I could easily imagine you needing permission to use the apps' icons or descriptions. I'm not an expert, so don't take anything I say here as gospel, I'm just thinking aloud about what the possible snags might be.

 

[erdomester]

If you are planning direct downloads, rather than just providing links to the Play Store, you do need the developers' permission.

It is forbidden to provide downloads outside GooglePlay so the users in our app would only open apps in the Play Store.