AppLicensing
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Google responds to Android DRM breach, promises how-to on obfuscating code
Well, that was snappy. Just 24 hours after Android Police published a piece describing how easy it was to circumvent Google's new Android licensing server, the Big G is hitting back with a brief response that it promises to elaborate on in the future. In order to address any doubts that developers may have, Google has noted that its new service is still "very young," and "the first release shipped with the simplest, most transparent imaginable sample implementation, which was written to be easy to understand and modify, rather than security-focused." Interestingly, the outfit doesn't hesitate to pass some of the blame, saying that some devs "are using the sample as-is, which makes their applications easier to attack." For those who'd like to better obfuscate their code, Google will be publishing detailed instructions on how to do so in the near future. We also appreciate the honesty in this quote in particular: "100 percent piracy protection is never possible in any system that runs third-party code." As stated, the bullet points listed in the source link should be fleshed out in due time, but at least you hard working developers can rest easy knowing that Google isn't standing by and letting pirates run amok.
Android's new app licensing scheme apparently easy to break
Remember that new licensing service for third-party developers that Google started advertising last month? A new exposé on Android Police claims that it's actually pretty easy to get around -- easy enough so that the crack could probably be packaged into some sort of automated script that breaks protected apps en masse for distribution through pirate-friendly channels. Though that's obviously bad news for developers, it's just as bad for consumers on Android devices who've customarily had less support from top-tier software brands and game studios than Apple's App Store has -- not to say iPhone apps are uncrackable, of course, but considering how difficult it's been in the past to turn a profit in the Android Market, every little bit helps. Let's hope a renewed focus on gaming in Gingerbread helps the situation, eh? Follow the break for Android Police's demo of the crack in action.
