We all knew this was going to be a problem. It's inherent in the platform. That said, the steps required to fix an app so it will run are way more complicated than they used to be with just forward locking. The script kiddies will be dissuaded from trying to unlock hundreds or even thousands of apps to the point that it will become unprofitable for them to do so. It may appear to be a simple scan and replace as shown in the article but for a complex app with lots of code, it will be a lot more difficult and subject to errors.
I can see an easy way to thwart an automated patch. Just put about a dozen fake functions in your app with that code. They don't have to do anything but sit there. You could even put in a test to see if the app was patched and cause it to fail or do something evil without a lot of fuss. That way the pirates would not only have to look but would have to analyze logic, something that's going to be beyond even the best pirates. The thing that makes these pirates able to function is to be able to simply steal the app, load it on their site and sell it. If each one requires a manual effort to patch, they will quickly lose interest. There may be some that will continue to do this but the numbers will drop precipitately. -John Coryat -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Android Developers" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
