Somebody Copied Codes, Exported it, Now Trying to Sell with Different Name on Google Play

[sifsty]

GhostScreen -> https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.lgdestek.ghostscreenfix on Google Play.

I can easily say the developer (actually we can't say developer) copy your all codes, exported it then he/she is trying to sell it on Google Play Store. This app and should remove from Google Play.

[smichel17]

Indeed. If they are using our code (which they are), the GPL requires them to provide the source (upon request, at least) and attribution to this project. I'll do the same thing as in #161 and maybe @raatmarien would like to, as well?

[sifsty]

Update: It is still in the Google Play Store.

[smichel17]

Yeah, I forgot to do this. I'll do it now

[smichel17]

Done. It should be down in a few days.

[sifsty]

Sorry but you need to reopen the issue. The app moved instead of to be removed.

It became a app nnder swiow username, even you see same link, same name and same screenshots.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.lgdestek.ghostscreenfix

It would be frustrating, someone trying to money from you open source app. Is there a thing which we can do?

[smichel17]

I filed another dmca takedown request, so it should be down shortly.

It would be frustrating, someone trying to money from you open source app.

I would like to clarify one thing: I have to problem with people making money off FLO software. In fact, I would like more of that. Not to mention, Red Moon itself is $2 on Google Play (and free on F-Droid).

If someone wanted to sell a Red Moon clone and they released the source code, according to the GPL, then I would not do anything about it. If they added features, I might encorporate them back into Red Moon. However, breaking the license and adding ads is not an acceptable way of doing that.

Is there a thing which we can do?

The only thing to do is sending dmca takedown notices each time a new one pops up. The upside is that when an app is taken down, Google will charge them back for any profits they made and after the second time they will have to make a new account, which costs $25.

I presume they have some way to avoid the chargeback and they make more profits than the $25. However, I also know it takes them more effort to set up a new account than it takes me to report the apps, so if we find and report them quickly, before too many people purchase them, we can hopefully make it not worth their time and they will find some other app to rip off.

[Poussinou]

@LibreShift

I found another at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nightmode.ardentic.screenfilter and yet another one at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zerocode.redmoon.lite

Maybe you could fill the DMCA takedown request for this ones as well 👍

[Poussinou]

@LibreShift There is another one here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.sunnite.blue

EDIT: and another here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.boltech.screenforsleep

[Poussinou]

Yet another one here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.creatoro.nightscreenfilter

[smichel17]

I need to make a template for myself so I don't need to write these out manually each time.

[smichel17]

If anyone wants to write out such a template, that would be nice.