The first step is, of course, Google saying that they won't shut down the agents account as soon as they list someone elses app....
Al. Mark Murphy wrote: > Al Sutton wrote: > >> OK, I'm going to float an idea that I'd like some feedback on from >> developers and (hopefully) someone at Google (Justin, I'd appreciate any >> clarification you can give on this). >> >> My company (Funky Android) is a UK Registered company and I would be >> willing to allow it to act as a publisher for *some* non-US/UK >> developers in order to get their paid apps into the app store. What I'd >> look for is a 2% cut of the app sales price on top of the Markets 30% >> cut in order to cover support and admin costs (i.e. forwarding user >> queries, paying the accountant to make sure the money flow is tax >> efficient and legal, etc.). >> >> Is this something developers would want and Google would allow? >> > > I had much the same thought late last night: developers residing outside > of Android Market-served areas need an agent to distribute the products > in the Market on their behalf. For some developers, this might need to > be a permanent arrangement, if Google Checkout never reaches their > country for whatever reason. > > IANAL, but a quick read of the Developer Distribution Agreement didn't > turn up anything that would prohibit agents from acting on a developer's > behalf. The only thing lightly sticky is that I think the agent's > "contact information will be displayed in each application detail page > and made available to users for customer support purposes." > > The big-time headache, of course, is tax considerations. The agent would > have to deal with the same tax considerations that Checkout has > struggled with...which isn't a problem if the agent had to figure that > out already. > > An agent could bundle this into a larger service, of course -- > distribution through multiple channels, PR and blogger relations, > front-line support (to deal with the "contact information" clause > mentioned above), etc. > > A spin on the same concept would be to set up a US- or UK-based > non-profit cooperative whose mission would be to provide those agent > services to its members. > > -- ====== Funky Android Limited is registered in England & Wales with the company number 6741909. The registered head office is Kemp House, 152-160 City Road, London, EC1V 2NX, UK. The views expressed in this email are those of the author and not necessarily those of Funky Android Limited, it's associates, or it's subsidiaries. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Android Developers" group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers-unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
