Issue
i'm android developer but i'm still studying in university, i want to practice what i learned and if i can earn from the application on the side.
So i also love manga a lot, and i wanted to try use the famous open-source manga reader Tachiyomi to build my own application, so what i'm planning is that i'm gonna take the source-code, understand the code, then modify the code how i like the application to be either remove what i don't like or add new things that i like with new style , new name and of course new logo.
But after some research, i found that even if the application is open-source doesn't mean i have the right to use it directly :/, i alredy saw some people from this reddit take down more than 4 applications like that one of those examples this post :
https://www.reddit.com/r/androidapps/comments/9xwigr/someone_copied_tachiyomi_an_opensource_manga/
The application use the Apache License, Version 2.0, i tried to understand the license completly but i couldn't understand how to protect my application from being removed, but i understand that this license doesn't block me from publishing the app as new one and for commercial use.
So please can somone help me how to use this source code, modify it and publish it as new application without being the target of thousands of fans of tachiyomi, i don't want to annoy anyone please :)
The link for tachiyomi application : https://github.com/tachiyomiorg/tachiyomi
Solution
TL;DR: I wouldn't publish a modified verison of an app already present in the Play Store
Regarding licensing
From the Reddit thread you mentioned:
- You may edit the source code and modify it freely.
- You have to document your changes - preferably in the form of a public GitHub repo as well and include a license with your work.
Additionally from the summary of the license given by GitHub itself:
- Commercial use is allowed.
- You cannot use the same name for your application as well as any other trademarks.
As per other good practices:
- You should make it clear that your work is based on a different project and credit them appropriately.
Regarding the Play Store
This is an entirely different topic as Play Store has it's own Terms of Service and other sets of rules for publishing apps. It strictly forbids apps that are too similar in their function to apps already present in the store. As you probably only want to modify the code slightly the app might be considered to be very similar. Therefore, regardless of the license, the original developer can take your app down on that basis.
If you want to use their work and publish it as your own app you should add a feature that significantly changes the user experience: a different design, a major new feature, etc., though I would still consider it risky to publish such an app.
Answered By - Karol Wasowski
Answer Checked By - Timothy Miller (JavaFixing Admin)
