If one GPD account gets disabled, does the second GPD gets disabled as well?

I already have one Google Play Developer account on which I post Google Play compliant apps. However, a friend of mine is making really simple “game guide” style apps, and naturally he has to use TM’d images and names (but not in apps title). His account is live and well for over a year now, and I also see GP flooded with such apps (Minecraft guides are all over the place and ranking really high), that are more than a year old. So, this makes me believe, that if you don’t tackle the super big games, but focus on lesser known games, Google won’t mind.

What I would like to do is create another account, which would be registered on my mother’s name, e-mail address, bank account and would have a separate AdMob account. I would use this account for various gaming related apps, fan apps (Rihanna Wallpapers, for example), etc. I’d like to give it a try, because eCPM’s are really good, and downloads are really quick.

Now, if my second account would for whatever reason get suspended, would my main account also be in danger? That’s main mai concern.

If you could share your experience or advise, I would very much appreciated.

Thanks!

According what I have read (I really haven’t tried this out and I might be wrong), you must be really careful with your plan. If second account get suspended and google find out you have another account, they will suspend that too. Do you live in same address? I am not sure does google check physical addresses, but if I would run google, I would do it.

Anyway I think that best way to have one account safe would be using another computer and another ip or at least clean your cookies and cache and use some proxy every time you use another account. Operating both account from same computer and same ip would make it too easy to google to find out that you have another account. Having multiple accounts is fine, but if one get suspended, other accounts get suspended too.

Hey MrCap, thanks for answering.

Yep, it would be on the same address, with different accounts, so as you are predicting, linking my two accounts would probably be a no-brainer for Google. I was thinking about buying a proxy subscription service for my second account, and accessing the account through a VirtualMachine, but I don’t know. A friend of mine is also willing to open an account for me, but if I will be accessing it… Well, I could say he’s my customer and I’m just uploading stuff for him, what he orders from me. :wink: But I don’t think I would get a chance to talk with Google.

Yeah, it’s a risky business, but I’m tempted, because I can’t publish games yet, and the people who publish game/gadget guides, are having 50%-100% higher eCPM from AdMob, than I do. I guess this is perfectly legal: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=drippler.samsung.galaxy.siv&hl=en

The app is extremely popular, they don’t use any copyrighted graphics, only trademarked names, but they have dozens of such apps, and if anything would be wrong, I’m sure Google would already disable their account. You could also say, their content is repetitive (which is something Gooogle discourages us to do), but everything is fine.

Thanks for expressing your opinions!

Funny thing is my client will create GPD soon for some games I’m making for him and I will have to upload that stuff for him. I’m afraid that if he does something bad on his account it might get linked to my account. I will probably use virtual machine and proxy just to be safe because you never know. :frowning:

If you are going to abandon your first google account, just format your machine and re-install OS. God knows where google has stored data to track you. Even with your mother’s account, its very easy to track you (recall google+ recommendations). Better create a new account after formatting your computer.

@Magnesus: There is no sure way to know this. :frowning: Maybe asking them could be your best option. I already asked them one question by e-mail and they answered in 24 hours. But using a VM and a proxy seems valid, too.
@javaexp: I’ve just thought of something. Let’s say I want to make a Justin Bieber wallpaper app (;-)) - I can check the Apple’s AppStore, and if I find these kind of apps there, it must mean that everything is legal! Also, if I decide to do a Minecraft Game Guide - the same. I’ve checked it on iTunes and there are tons of unofficial guides there. So if it’s cool with Apple and Amazon (I also publish all my apps on Amazon), because they check everything manually, then it must be good for Google Play also.

Your thoughts on this? Thanks.

I’m now quite sure, that guides (like Galaxy S4), and celebrity Wallpapers are OK. You have them in App Store (unofficial iPhone Guides) as well. There is even a GTA 5 paid wallpaper app there which was posted on 1st of June 2013.

Check out this thread:

http://forums.makingmoneywithandroid.com/advertising-networks/1998-admob-account-suspended-no-apparent-reason-5.html#post14134

Where a link suggests that Google does look for “relationships” between accounts (does that mean they will use their Snowden-controversy type techniques as well - how far will Google go - and having done similar for the goverment clears a path for them to do this “for the house” as well ?.

So, guys, what do you think? Is publishing “Galaxy S4 Guide” and “Minecraft Guide” type of apps OK? I see them on Apple and on Amazon (both check apps manually) and they don’t seem to mind.

yes why not. there are app on play store which have no purpose. For e.g. David (the administrator of this forum) has an app which just asks users to not install the app as it doesn’t have anything except a red button and then tells users not to press the red button as nothing will happen. Just imagine people are downloading this app and then leaving the review that it was fun and they couldn’t control themselves.

GalaxyS4 guide is much better than that!!

I was concerned a bit about the trademark/copyright issues (Galaxy S4, Note II, Minecraft, etc.).

I think it depends a lot on whether the company that owns the trademark or copyright is actively submitting takedown appeals to google. Some companies don’t waste time doing this, other are very aggressive in doing this (nintendo, disney). So you might want to research the company of the subject your making an app about and see how aggressive they are. Also, I’ve heard other developers with similar apps will submit appeals against your app if your cutting in their territory, so there’s lots of randomness in google taking down your app.

When you are providing commentary on a subject you can use some parts of it - it is called “fair use” (copyright law).

However in practice all this will be handled not in a court - but in how Google conducts it’s takedown notices etc.

My own sense is that you are pretty safe in making a Guide - as long as you use images/screenshots from the original game not excessively.

I had heard that Apple App Store does that - i.e. may protect pre-existing apps on App Store from very similar competitor apps (good for developers - bad for users).

But I didn’t think this would be the case on Google.

I have seen apps with the exact same name (though I agree this is not a dis-proof - since maybe no one complained there).

I can imagine that competitors may anonymously (i.e. without revealing they are a competitor) be reporting the competitor apps for copyright or such violations - but does Google listen to such complaints (the “flag this as inappropriate”) - at least on copyright issues ? (i.e. is Google actively shutting down copyright violation apps ?). My own sense is that Google is NOT actively going after copyright-violating apps - which would suggest they only go after apps which have been reported as inappropriate by their copyright owner (?). Just a conjecture.

I’m talking about companies who submit a legal complaint with google, not just flagging the app as inappropriate. I’m not sure how you do it, but it probably isn’t hard to find out. I don’t think Google is proactive in taking down copycat apps, rather they let the copyright owners submit a complaint. Theres so many blatant apps that use well known trademarks not to mention all the copycat apps. But then you hear stories where certain companies are very actively protecting their copyrights. I remember a thread from this forum of a user who had a game called Tablet Tower Defense. Seems theres a big mobile company who trademarked “Tower Defense” and was reporting all the apps that used it. So it can go from one extreme to the other