I wouldn't use IMEI or phone-number. App purchases are linked to a google account. If a user switches to a new phone, they'd need a new activation and this can mean support headaches for the app developer.
Google should give us a good way to identify the user as he/she is tied to his/her google-account that was active when the app was downloaded from the Android Market. It should not be the account-name itself (privacy) but some proper hash of it that remains unique. On Oct 29, 4:56 pm, "SoftwareForMe.com SoftwareForMe.com" <[email protected]> wrote: > I agree that it is a little disappointing that there is no better protection > scheme, and that the losses hurt. > > A quick story: our app, PhoneMyPC, a PC remoting app is a combination > application and hosted service. The phone and PC use our servers to > cooperatively get connected for each remote control session. This makes > PhoneMyPC ideal for people inside corporate firewalls, or who just don't > want to bother configuring for RDP or VNC. > > We are nearing the end of a [protracted] Beta program. In the beginning, we > were hosting on port 443. Several weeks ago we switched to a different port > (temporarily), and kept both services running while users downloaded the new > release. > > Most people moved to the new server within a week, but a large body (half of > all connections using our service) never moved at all. After more than two > weeks, we discontinued service on the old port, and there has not yet been a > single support contact as a result. > > We made the decision to disconnect the old service even though it was still > being well used because we discovered our app being sold illegally on one of > the websites talked about in this group. > > So, our "retention for pay" rate is also about 70%, yet we believe as many > as half of the people using our application (or at least possessing it) have > acquired it outside of the Android Market (and hence are not automatically > getting updates). > > For our purposes, Google could trivially enable us to protect our resources > by adding any phone identifier into the Google Checkout records, such as > phone number or IMEI, so that we could tie phones running our app back to > thei purchase records. > > Scott, > SoftwareForMe.com > > On Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 8:12 AM, [email protected] < > > > > > > [email protected]> wrote: > > > Regarding stats its very hard to get accurate numbers. > > > You are right in that the app retention stat on the dev console can > > help show loss of sales through point 2 below. > > > On point 3, I can see on my order book that this results in the loss > > of 15 - 20% of orders as I am in the UK - I believe this figure is > > closer to 5% for US publishers. > > > Loss of sales from points 1 and 4 is almost impossible to calculate - > > thats why I guessed a total loss of 70% on sales from all these > > factors combined ... > > > 1. copy protection doesn't work - apps get hacked and redistributed > > within 24 hours > > 2. users backup apps to sdcard, refund and reinstall = no payment to > > dev > > 3. payments fail on international orders > > 4. most countries still excluded from paid apps > > > And sadly if the hackers want your new features enough, e.g. a major > > update, they will get it out to their minions within 24 hours. > > -- > Warm regards, > The PhoneMyPC Team- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Android Discuss" 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-discuss?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
