I just hope anyone copying Rolex-like stuff gets banned forever. They just put all developers at risk of shutting down this job. Whoever shpamelessly copies is not a designer.
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I understand what you’re saying.
I don’t have anything against designs that are inspired by some big brand. I mean just looking in the store, there are hundreds if not thousands of such designs in both Play Store, and even Galaxy Store (which seems to have a lot more strict reviewing conditions, regarding copyright).
Designs that look more or less similar to other existing ones or big brand names (especially when it comes to analog faces), but they all have some noticeable differences, some additional features or shapes added by different designers, and definitely they all have different individual names. They might even be suggestive names that are similar to those existing brands, but never fully identical.
My opinion, and also where I’d draw the line in my work, is that it’s not okay to use an existing copyrighted brand name (like Rolex, for example) or a completely same design, and call it your own.
Users will of course be interested in these designs, especially in simple 100% copies because they’re popular brand names, and those designs and specific watch models already have existing fan bases, and are popular all by themselves.
But this doesn’t stop Google from one day deciding this-or-that crosses the line, and removing everything it considers a violation (like Samsung did at one point in Galaxy Store).
“Everyone’s doing this” won’t concern Google if it comes to offical complaints from any of those big brands.
This is what concerns me.
Not the more or less similar lookalikes, but those full-blown, fully brand-named, yet fully unofficial copies of existing brands.
And now some of those are/were on the front page of several “Watch face” categories in the Play Store.
Either Google truly doesn’t care about copyright (which is unlikely), or the algorithm went a bit out of control, I honestly have no idea.
I cannot seem to understand your point of Alogrithm.
See this watchface in screenshot it has 10,000 plus downloads and was uploaded on 26 Dec 2021.
and has also been recently updated on 26 Sep
Do you honestly think the algorithm has been not working for last 1 year then why it hasnot been taken
down.
I am pretty sure many haters filled the report form and reported against this face users and developers included
I know few who did.
such faces are in Top ranking and are more visible in Top
charts now because of the number of higher downloads
This watchface has been on playstore for almost 10 months now. And has not been taken down even with
all hatred around it.
what impression should be taken from this then
Nothing like “unofficial” is allowed. Just read, I’m pretty sure you will find out that “users want this” will not help you in case there is copyright infringement action against you / google.
Also, of course you didn’t get copyright strike till now. It has to be filled by real company representative.
Intellectual Property - Play Console Help (google.com)
Btw. I know there is a lot of work behind your designs, personally love them, but you operate in “grey zone”. Me, personally, would consider some design adjustment so there could be no chance my design is taken down
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The worst thing that Google could do to those using copyrighted names with no permission would be to suspend their account, but all the money gained from this will remain in their pockets for both parties i guess.
And they can always create a new account and re upload the same watch faces.
As for play store downloads they were always have been low for me compared to galaxy store’s, maybe it has to do that i do minimal promoting and stopped handing out coupons.
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So … Play Store watch faces list is down and there are more and more “developers” spamming with unauthorized replicas of stuff like Rolex … Where should we sell our works? WFS is for personal use only?
Today it seems they have restored the Play Store as it was about a week ago … No changes … Rolex and other counterfeit brands are still there …
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I wonder if those brands are aware of this and if they are why they are not doing anything about it. Maybe the trouble of going after those individuals using their trademarked logos would cost more money than they would do nothing about it.
You are right 
Instead of editing and posting them again
I have just now in last few minutes have voluntarily unpublished and removed each and every one of these faces which had brand logos, all of them. Can be seen on my developer page. If you see one odd that is also in process from google side.
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Strange, my sales keep going up every month, even though not much, but it’s going up every month.
My from 20-25 downloads per day to 0-5 per day 
If there weren’t all those fake watch faces like Rolex, Tag Heur (etc.), the visibility of honest developers would be better with better downloads…
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The play store is weird.
One of my “bad” selling wfs are listed in the top 100. My designs with the highest download numbers nowhere to be found. That makes no sense. 
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My guess is that top list is localized and not only just based on sales or downloads but several other things. I have only downloaded a analog watch face one time so my top list is almost all Digital watch faces.
Ron
Samsung Developer Relations
Yeah, okay, that makes sense. It’s a very “personalized” top list. It doesn’t make sense to use it for analysis. 
Agree, seeing more and more of this, even being promoted on Facebook pages, it is really annoying.
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