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Apps How to sell an app outside of the Android Market

A

Acchao

Newbie
I recently received a request to buy a paid version of our app, but the customer is outside of the US and the android market does not sell paid apps to them.

What's the best way to get the app to them? My concern with sending the paid apk straight up is that there will be a loose free version of our paid software floating around that if it gets fwded anyone can use it.

What do most app developers do in such a scenario?
 
Hmm... sounds fishy to me. You'd be right to worry that your APK is floating around the internet - that makes it that much easier to steal. How are these buyers proposing to pay you? Once they get the app?

And to answer your question: no, I don't have any experience selling apps overseas. But I'd still be very wary.
 
Acchao said:
I recently received a request to buy a paid version of our app, but the customer is outside of the US and the android market does not sell paid apps to them.

What's the best way to get the app to them? My concern with sending the paid apk straight up is that there will be a loose free version of our paid software floating around that if it gets fwded anyone can use it.

What do most app developers do in such a scenario?
Click to expand...

I hate to break it to you bud, but I can have your app, for FREE, in about 5 minutes time. Take the guys money, send him the apk. There NOTHING you can do about piracy.
 
You know, you can do both. Selling individually does not conflict with selling on Slideme, or the official Market.

But you're right, there's no pre-built solution to the "free full version" issue -- one of the reasons I am here is because there is no DRM on Android. Period.
There wasn't any DRM on the old PalmOS either, but here's a tip: that didn't hinder PalmOS app devs to make "unlocking codes" that were given out to people based on their specific Hotsync ID's, which would be somewhat analogous to Google account names nowadays. :cool:
 
KlaymenDK said:
You know, you can do both. Selling individually does not conflict with selling on Slideme, or the official Market.

But you're right, there's no pre-built solution to the "free full version" issue -- one of the reasons I am here is because there is no DRM on Android. Period.
There wasn't any DRM on the old PalmOS either, but here's a tip: that didn't hinder PalmOS app devs to make "unlocking codes" that were given out to people based on their specific Hotsync ID's, which would be somewhat analogous to Google account names nowadays. :cool:
Click to expand...

And what happens when you want to switch google id's? I have a few that I use....
 
Don't treat customers as pirates. If your app is popular enough to be of interest to pirates then they will find a way to get it. Do you think your DRM/hotsync code hack/etc is better technology than Microsoft or Adobe put in their products? And their products are always available illegally.

Updating often is a good way of rewarding customers, as the pirates will probably fall a few versions behind.
 
IOWA said:
And what happens when you want to switch google id's? I have a few that I use....
Click to expand...
Yeah, that's the limitation of this approach. But it's still better than a one-shot serial number (pirated as easily as Windows install codes), or binding the app to the device ID (pisses off users when they buy a new phone). Nothing does everything.

But this is all off-topic. :o
 
I am well aware pirates can get my app if they want to, but I'd rather not just hand it to them. It's surprising how much five minutes of effort can deter a person from trying something.

Also there's no DRM for a specific user, but you can enable copy protection which "prevents" an app from being copied off a phone.
Android Developers Blog: Software Update Available for the Android Developer Phone

Making my own unlocking codes is just too much effort.

I'll check out slideMe. I think we're going to publish our app on Orange's own version of the Android Market as well.
 
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