FBI works during summer time, have no doubt about it. The US Department of Justice has just shut down three websites illegally hosting cracked Android software. This is the first time when the American authorities seized domains associated with mobile apps and according to a statement, it won’t be the last one, since piracy is a serious issue, either it's mobile or not.
Three Pirated Android App Sites Shut Down By FBI
Android platform has to solve the issue of piracy, it's recommended to be done exclusively by Google and so FBI won't have to interfere. According to Lanny A. Breuer, assistant attorney general, software apps have become an increasingly essential part of the American economy and culture, so the Criminal Division will protect their creators, plus other forms of intellectual property against any kind of stealth.
In the recent case, the authority took the first step, since Madfinger Games pointed that their latest $0.99 game was 80% pirated, which is dangerous for Android itself, not for the small developer's business. Who will put his/her creation on Android, knowing that it might not be protected as promised?
Three Pirated Android App Sites Shut Down By FBI
How is it possible to copy so much? Chris Pruett, a developer behind Wind-Up Knight explains it: Android natively allows a user to install an app (APK) from any source, meaning that common consumers can install a downloaded app, from locations outside the official Google Play store and it's almost legal, unless you direct the copied content to somebody else.
FBI closed applanet.net, snappzmarket.net and appbucket.net, hosting more than 50,000 cracked applications, with the help of foreign governments, mostly Dutch and French ones. They might be down, but let's not forget that those sites were sustained by an immense community of 120,000 followers on Facebook and Twitter. I think that they will find a way to come back to life as Pirate Bay did. For the moment, all three of them display a copyright notice, stating FBI closed then and the reasons for this deed.
Three Pirated Android App Sites Shut Down By FBI
FBI might be suspected to be a little subjective, starting this crusade with Android case. After all, piracy is a persistent problem on iOS, Windows or games as well. Remember that Yves Guillermot, Ubisoft CEO, estimated that piracy regarding the brand is up to 95%, so what's left for the company?
In the end of the article, a little bit of history, confirming that FBI doesn't joke. In January the American authority FBI shut down Megaupload.com, one of the largest file-sharing sites for widespread piracy on music, movies and other intellectual property. So three fake Android sites are down, but there are thousands or even millions of similar creations, if you add to this number blogs, how would FBI bring an end to this phenomenon?
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