I have a logo game in the Play Store for several years now. This game uses company logos which users have to solve. Google never had a problem with this until my last app update. The update has been rejected for copyright violations. It has not been suspended so the app is still in the Play Store.
The problem is that i can never update this app again, because I can not show Google that I have permission to use these logos. I am also afraid that Google might suspend the app in the future.
Besides the logo game i also have a new game which i am about to publish. This is an entirely different game compared to the logo game.
My question is, do you think it is allowed that i update/replace the logo game to become this new game?
The reason why is that the logo game already is years in the Play Store, has lot’s of ratings and downloads, so this will help in kick starting my new game instead of starting from zero. (i understand it is also contradicting because these users rated the logo game, not the new game)
I have checked the policies and guidelines and it does not say that it is not allowed. I have also emailed Google with this same question, but their answer is not really clear (see below). What do you guys think?
[i]Thanks for your additional comments.
We appreciate the feedback regarding Google Play Policies and Guidelines. At this time, we are unable to comment on the compliance of your planned implementation. We encourage you to use the following guidelines and policies when uploading a new version:
Google Play Apps Policy Center:
http://play.google.com/policy
Application Rating Guidance:
https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/188189
For auditing purposes, we are unable to reinstate applications that have been suspended due to policy violations. We recommend that you upload a new instance of the application which complies with Google Play Policies and Guidelines.
Please note that repeated violations may result in a suspension of your Google Play Developer account.
Regards,
Taylor
The Google Play Team[/i]