Basic Android Licensing Enquiry

I am going to be sending off pr开发者_开发百科ess-kits to various reviewers in regards to my new Android game and I am wondering how I should go about sending them an APK they can test? The game is paid and licensed.

If I send them the licensed version of the game they won't be able to run it on their phones without buying it. However, if I send them an unlicensed version and someone leaks it then everyone will just be able to get my game for free. What should I do?

Your options are pretty much limited to:

• a time limited (demo) version
• sending them an unlocked version which displays some personal information about the reviewer, thus making it in the reviewer's interests to keep the APK to themselves
• using a licensing server. ie the game checks against a server (on GAE or similar) to see if it is allowed to run

I'm sure there are other options - I'd be interested to hear them.

One thing that is sorely missing from the Android Market is the ability to give the app to people. I think this is possible on the iOS store - at least like this you'd be able to grant real licences to the reviewers.

Following on from the above answers. Here's what I do (plus a message on the splash screen with the name of the reviewer)

private void initNewGame() {
    //do a date check and quit if necessary

    if ( reviewMode ) {
        if ( new GregorianCalendar().after(new GregorianCalendar(2011,3,1,0,0,0))) {
            //quit
            ((Program)parentActivity).finish();
        }
    }
}

I would also be interested if anyone has other ways of doing this, it's a really good question.

Make a free demo version that expires or something like that?