Quote: "How would you tie the user ID to the distributor?"
I was just spouting ideas for the thread here, and have not ever tried any of that myself.
I have never looked into any of that, and it would probably be difficult in theory, however...
Each build could be different for each distributor, so the ID would contain an identifier for which distributor it was sent from.
Then, maybe you could time stamp it when they initially run the app to create the unique user id, because most people try an app out as soon as they download it.
Then, you can match the timestamp with the record of downloads at the distributors site in the analytic section. (download management at GooglePlay)
There wouldn't need to be a concern unless the numbers are way off, but this would give you a good idea of which user ID's were valid purchases and which were bootlegs.
It would also tell you which distributor site is serving the most untrustworthy clients, because they would be the ones distributing the bootlegs.
I have never believed in chasing software pirates, because spending the time catering to paying clients is more important.
However, if you had questions about a certain distributors sales figures, then this may shed some light on the problem.
I doubt that any major distributor would risk a class action law suit by fudging the numbers, but some smaller ones might.
Quote: "
I'd love to restrict it to Play Store customers only, at least until I release it for other stores, and kill the app or block access to the online databases if they've installed it from one of the many bootleg sites it's currently sitting on."
If adding or using a feature required accessing your server, then you could flag userID's in question to block the features and not the app itself.
Then, to unlock the feature, the user might have to provide some basic non-secure info about the purchase. (with a "for your protection" or "anti-piracy" message attached)
It would only be a one time inconvenience for a valid purchaser with a good time-stamped-ID because that unique ID would never be flagged again after validation.
Any bootlegger would not have or provide the purchase info, and that ID could be permanently flagged/blocked.
Any valid purchaser would have access to getting the date and time the purchase was made for instance, where as the bootlegger would not.
As long as the unique time stamped user id being used is behind the scenes, then the bootlegger would not be able to cypher the purchase info from it.
Quote: "As the ole saying goes - if put heart and sole into anything -anything can be achieved.
EDIT: Wrong thread - sorry"
lol @ puzzler2018
I was also looking at that thread earlier, and I had to leave my computer for a few minutes while typing a response to this thread.
I came back and started reading your post and was surprised thinking "how the heck did it switch back to that thread?". lol
I had backed out to the forum and came back in before realizing I was in the right thread all along.
It's all good, anyone who has been here awhile has made that same mistake at some point, and if not they will if they hang around long enough.
Coding things my way since 1981 -- Currently using AppGameKit V2 Tier 1
