Quote:
Originally Posted by chaley
Yes, there are many, mostly "alternate stores" that offer the identical APK available on Google Play. This is usually not a problem because either the app is free and unlicensed, or it has a license requiring verification with the play store. These "stores" are not doing anything illegal, as they are not changing the APK. Of course, for licensed apps the result is not useful unless the pirate app is applied.
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While this doesn't really take away from your point ("easy to get" whether legal or illegal), I would dispute that they're not doing anything illegal. I'm pretty sure you hold the copyright and you authorize Amazon and Google to distribute it. Uploading it somewhere else with or without modification is illegal.
I had thought most of the "darknet" stuff dried up when they started prosecuting Mega-Upload
et al. I just did a quick search and found several sites offering the demo version, though, so you're probably right that I'd find the paid version if I looked a little more. If it's up to you rather than Google or Amazon to deal with infringers, "illegal" probably doesn't mean a whole lot.
I guess at this point, if we decide that the use of DRM with Calibre Companion is justified, is there a bright line between a tool facilitating fair-use and piracy? Is it justified on software, but not books? Or are the relatively low requirements for accepting the DRM restrictions (Google Play account on a network-connected device) such that publicizing this tool is indefensible? Or something else?