Under a Gibbous Moon

Google recently released a new licensing system for Android developers. It involves a set a libraries that developers can add to their applications that will require that the fact that it had be purchased be validated by Google’s servers (gritty details can be found here).

The reason that this is being rolled out is that paid for applications can be pulled off of the phone and then distributed illegally, much in the way of about another other computer program.

Now, I have always found complicated DRM schemes to be far more of a burden to legitimate users than it is to software pirates. Simply put, every DRM scheme (to my knowledge) has been defeated. This means that the pirates still get the programs for free and legitimate users have to put up with the DRM.

First I would like to make some points for Google’s system. Twitter, being a wonderful thing, I was able to discuss the new system with a Google employee, @romainguy and an Android dev, @tomgibara.

The first an most important point is, that this system is not being made mandatory and the implementation, and the degree thereof, is left up to the developer.

The biggest problems that plague online authentication is what happens when the user does not have an internet connection or the server is unaccessible (either do to high traffic or the server going offline). The answer to both conditions is that the system allows for the caching of the validation for offline use for “a period of time” before a recheck is required.

I have to admit that the failsafe implementation seems like a good idea, except that its implementation is also optional.

Now for the downsides.

Part of the licensing system require that the phones unique ID number be used. This essentially limits the software that you buy under this system to the device that you are currently upgrading. Did you buy that $30 office suite? Well you’ll have to do it again when you upgrade to a new phone. While you could email the developer to work something out, once again it is DRM places the burden upon legitimate users. Edit 28JUL10. The validation system requires the IMSI not the IMEI, see comments.

The second downside is that while the system has been designed to allow for no server access scenarios, it is up to the developer to allow for them. Because of this, you could find that nice, shiny music player you paid for useless when you put your phone into airplane more for that long flight.

The final downside, to me, is purely philosophical. This move, by Google, strikes me as more of something that Apple would do. Restrictive licensing is essentially what Apple built their empire on and to see Google implementing something like that is, in my opinion, a step in the wrong direction.

So, how is this going to work out? I see it becoming a fixture in the Android Marketplace in the coming months. Quite a few Android developers on Google Groups and on Twitter have been responding very favorably to it. What effect will it have on the Android Market? I guess only time will tell if it becomes a Steam or another SecureRom.