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Android Market Developer Program Policies |
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Google Play Developer Program Policies |
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The policies listed below play an important role in maintaining a positive experience for everyone using Android Market. Defined terms used here have the same meaning as in the Android Market Developer Distribution Agreement. Be sure to check back from time to time, as these policies may change. |
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The policies listed below play an important role in maintaining a positive experience for everyone using Google Play.
Defined terms used here have the same meaning as in the Developer
Distribution Agreement. Be sure to check back from time to time, as
these policies may change. |
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Impersonation or Deceptive
Behavior: Don't pretend to be someone else, and don't represent that
your app is authorized by or produced by another company or organization
if that is not the case. Products or the ads they contain also must not
mimic functionality or warnings from a user’s operating system or other applications. Developers should not divert users or provide links to any other site that mimics Android Market or passes itself off as Android Market. |
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Impersonation or Deceptive
Behavior: Don't pretend to be someone else, and don't represent that
your app is authorized by or produced by another company or organization
if that is not the case. Products or the ads they contain also must not
mimic functionality or warnings from the operating system or other applications. Developers must not divert users or provide links to any other site that mimics or passes itself off as another application or service. Apps must not have names or icons that appear confusingly similar to existing products, or to apps supplied with the device (such as Camera, Gallery or Messaging). |
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Personal and Confidential
Information: We don't allow unauthorized publishing of people's private
and confidential information, such as credit card numbers, Social
Security numbers, driver's and other license numbers, or any other
information that is not publicly accessible. |
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Personal and Confidential Information: We don't allow unauthorized publishing or disclosure of
people's private and confidential information, such as credit card
numbers, Social Security numbers, driver's and other license numbers, or
any other information that is not publicly accessible. |
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Intellectual Property:
Don’t infringe on the intellectual property rights of others, including
patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright, and other proprietary
rights. We will respond to clear notices of alleged copyright
infringement. For more information or to file a DMCA request, please
visit our copyright procedures. |
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Intellectual Property: Don’t infringe on the intellectual property rights of others, (including patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright, and other proprietary rights), or encourage or induce infringement of intellectual property
rights. We will respond to clear notices of alleged copyright
infringement. For more information or to file a DMCA request, please
visit our copyright procedures. |
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Malicious Products: Don't transmit viruses, worms, defects, Trojan horses, malware, or any other items of that may harm user devices or personal data. We don't allow content that harms or interferes with the operation of the networks, servers, or other infrastructure of Google or any third-parties. Spyware, malicious scripts and password phishing scams are also prohibited on Android Market. |
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Dangerous Products: Don't transmit viruses, worms, defects, Trojan horses, malware, or any other items that may introduce security vulnerabilities to or harm user devices, applications, or personal data. We don't allow content that harms, interferes with the operation of, or accesses in an unauthorized manner, networks, servers, or other infrastructure. Apps that collect information (such as the user's location or behavior) without the user's knowledge (spyware), malicious scripts and password phishing scams are also prohibited on Google Play, as are applications that cause users to unknowingly download or install applications from sources outside of Google Play. |
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Developers are important partners in maintaining a great user experience in Android Market. |
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Developers are important partners in maintaining a great user experience on Google Play. |
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Product descriptions
should not be misleading or loaded with keywords in an attempt to
manipulate ranking or relevancy in the store’s search results. |
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Product descriptions
should not be misleading or loaded with keywords in an attempt to
manipulate ranking or relevancy in the Store’s search results. |
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Apps that are created by an automated tool or wizard service must not be submitted to Google Play by the operator of that service on behalf of other persons. |
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Do not post an app where the primary functionality is to: |
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Drive affiliate traffic to a website or |
Do not post an app where the primary functionality is to link to the website or the webview of a website not owned by you (unless you have permission from the website owner to do so). |
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Provide a webview of a website not owned or administered by you (unless you have permission from the website owner/administrator to do so) |
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Do not send SMS, email, or other messages on behalf of the user without providing the user with the ability to confirm content and intended recipient. |
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App purchases: Developers charging for applications and downloads from Google Play must do so by using Google Play's payment system. |
Developers charging for applications and downloads from Android Market must do so by using an authorized Payment Processor. Developers offering additional content, goods, or services for an application downloaded from Android Market must offer an authorized Payment Processor as the payment option. |
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In-app purchases: Developers offering additional content, services or functionality within an application downloaded from Google Play must use Google Play's payment system as the method of payment, except: |
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The following are exceptions for the two requirements above: |
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Where payment is primarily for a physical good or service (e.g. buying movie tickets; e.g. buying a newspaper app where the price also includes a hard copy subscription) |
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where payment is primarily for physical goods or services (e.g. buying movie tickets; e.g. buying a publication where the price also includes a hard copy subscription); or |
Where
payment is for digital content or goods that may be consumed outside of
the application itself (e.g. buying songs that can be played on other
music players) |
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where
payment is for digital content or goods that may be consumed outside of
the application itself (e.g. buying songs that can be played on other
music players) |
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Developers should not use the exceptions above as an alternative means to an authorized Payment Processor to collect payment for usage of applications. |
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Subscriptions and Cancellations |
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Google's subscription cancellation policy is that a user will not receive a refund for the current billing period when cancelling a subscription, but will continue to receive issues and updates of the relevant subscription content (if any) for the remainder of the billing period, regardless of the cancellation. |
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You (as the content or access provider) may implement a more flexible refund policy with your users directly, and it is your responsibility to notify your users of those policies and ensure that the policies comply with applicable law. |
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Ad Policy |
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The policy below covers all ads that are implemented in and bundled with apps. These rules are important in maintaining a positive experience for everyone using Android apps from Google Play. Be sure to check back from time to time, as these policies may change. |
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Developer Terms apply to the entire user experience of your application/extension |
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Please be aware that Google’s Developer Distribution Agreement and Developer Program Policies (together, “Developer Terms”) apply to each application (“app”) as well as any ads or third-party libraries bundled or made available through the app. Offer your users a consistent, policy compliant, and well communicated user experience. |
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In general, ads are considered part of your app for purposes of content review and compliance with the Developer Terms. Therefore all of the policies, including those concerning illegal activities, violence, sexually explicit content, and privacy violations, apply. Please take care to use advertising which does not violate these policies. |
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Ads which are inconsistent with the app’s content rating also violate our Developer Terms. |
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Ads Context |
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It must be clear to the user which app each ad is associated with or implemented in. Ads must not make changes to the functioning of the user’s device outside the ad by doing things such as installing shortcuts, bookmarks or icons or changing default settings without the user’s knowledge and consent. If an ad makes such changes it must be clear to the user which app has made the change and the user must be able to reverse the change easily, by either adjusting the settings on the device, advertising preferences in the app, or uninstalling the app altogether. |
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Ads must not simulate or impersonate system notifications or warnings. |
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Ad Walls |
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Forcing the user to click on ads or submit personal information for advertising purposes in order to fully use an app provides a poor user experience and is prohibited. Users must be able to dismiss the ad without penalty. |
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Interfering with Third-party Ads and Websites |
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Ads associated with your app must not interfere with any ads on a third-party application. |
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In the event that your application is removed from Android Market,
you will receive an email notification to that effect. If you have any
questions or concerns regarding a removal or a rating/comment from a
user, you may contact us at http://market.android.com/support.
Serious or repeated violations of the Developer Distribution Agreement
or this Content Policy will result in account termination. Repeated
infringement of intellectual property rights, including copyright, will
also result in account termination. For more information on Google's
copyright policies, please see here. |
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In the event that your application is removed from Google Play,
you will receive an email notification to that effect. If you have any
questions or concerns regarding a removal or a rating/comment from a
user, you may contact us at http://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer.
Serious or repeated violations of the Developer Distribution Agreement
or this Content Policy will result in account termination. Repeated
infringement of intellectual property rights, including copyright, will
also result in account termination. For more information on Google's
copyright policies, please see here. |