Hello I have recently launched an App on Google Play. We only have 100 downloads.
Today I received a email from google telling me that my app was suspended due to Intellectual Property
We reviewed XXX, for package ID com.XXX.XXX, and found that it violates our intellectual property policy. The application has been removed from Google Play and won’t be available to users until you submit a compliant update. You can read more about intellectual property and our other policy guidelines in our help center.
Next steps:
Look through your app to identify any “protected works,” or content owned by a third party. Protected works could include images, music, videos, product names, brands and similar works.
Remove any content that may be a protected work from your promotional screenshots.
Submit the app again.
If you have the owner’s permission to use this content, please reach out to the appeals team through our App Developer help center and attach verifiable and accepted proof of permission.
The thing is that first of all I don’t know what I have infringed.
To start the name of the app is the name of our company, (we don’t use a name of another one, so it’s not infringed) and we have the trademark.
Inside the Apk, there aren’t any sounds/videos. Each icon used is or from material design or from Free vector icons - SVG, PSD, PNG, EPS & Icon Font - Thousands of Free Icons where we have a Premium License to use them either normal or modified in any commercial app or use we want.
The icon and screens of the app are totally made from ours.
There are some things that could be causing this:
-In some screens we used as a “joke” some famous names , could these be a problem?
-In 3 screens and 2 images of the app, there were few images were we didn’t have the the license (but they are super small and edited, do they count?)
I replaced all the names in the screens, and the image inside the app and from the screens by other ones free from copyright.
Now I don’t know what to do. Do i need to resubmit the apk and the screens ?
Now I am 100% sure that all the material used in the app is ours but I have read that the Google Bot could suspend our account…
What do we do?
And also, how does google know that I don’t have the right to use this material? Because for example on those icons from flaticon I have a Premium License.
I have seen that i can send an appeal, but i don’t know…
I don’t understand why they have taken down the app without advising before.
In conclusion, I have the app now 100% free from 3rd party intellectual property and I don’t know what to do.