Google Boots Transdroid From Android Market 276
fysdt writes with a TorrentFreak story that starts: "Google has pulled one of the most popular torrent download managers from the Android Market because of policy violations. Before Google booted the application, Transdroid had been available for two years and amassed 400,000 users during that time. Thus far Google hasn't specified what the exact nature of Transdoid's violations are, but it's not unlikely that they relate to copyright infringement."
Try again.. (Score:5, Informative)
It was removed from the MARKET, not your device.
Re:Try again.. (Score:4, Informative)
Sure we are. OS upgrades occasionally break compatibility with apps. If no further updates are going to be made available for the app because it's been blocked from the Market, and an OS upgrade makes the app start crashing, then that's that.
Most Android environments do not require the Market to install apps (I say most because inevitably someone's customized Android environment will force you to use their market).
Re:Pressure from the Telcos (Score:5, Informative)
e.g. My home machine is d/l'ing torrents, and my phone can connect to my home machine (via Transdroid) to check status, start/stop torrents, etc.
I would insert an obligatory RTFA comment... but it was in the summary ("the most popular torrent download manager") - so it's obvious you didn't even get past the subject.
Re:The grey line of theft (Score:2, Informative)
If there was no protection for intellectual property then there would be no employer to provide them a salary.
In the case of TV and Film you would probably have none of the films or TV shows you've seen in the last few years.
First, this is so misguided it made me laugh 'til my sides hurt. The companies who make software aren't going under or shutting down as a result of piracy or torrenting. If you need a perfect example, check out Adobe. They have some of the most pirated software on the Internet, and they're still raking in huge profits. Without these BS IP laws, you would likely see about the exact same percent of purchases vs pirate copies. As a heavy torrenter, I can say without a doubt that I could give less of a shit about IP laws, and I'm going to keep going whether they get strict or not. Until they can make the un-crackable, un-patchable, un-free-able software that their greedy investors are hoping for, there might as well be no legal protection for the software. Summary: Criminals gonna crim, and buyers gonna buy.
Second, I think I would be better off without the IP laws for television. The shit that has been coming out lately is so watered down and pseudo-copied from some other story, while trying to tiptoe around and not be seen as pure plagiarism, that they just plain suck. I think if SciFi could make it's low-budget original films as direct copies of successful movies, people might actually watch them. I think if they could come out with that awesome new drama series, which is all ready to go except the lawyers say it is 2% too similar to another work for IP laws, we could have some new content that I wouldn't shut off right away. The television industry is a joke, and garners most of its money from advertising and very little from 'sales' or 'subscription' services. This is starting to change as the companies responsible for the content try to milk more and more and more and more from the viewer in terms of longer commercial breaks, more commercial breaks, and more product placement in the shows themselves. It's getting fucking ridiculous, and it should all just be made fucking illegal. PBS style with no commercials during the program, 5 minute max between shows. None of this 7 minute breaks every 5 minutes horseshit.