I’m a WearOS developer, I publish watch faces on Google Play, and you’re right. A WearOS watch face is an actual Android app. You need to be a Java programmer and use Android Studio to create one. And that’s a good spam filter, as you say.
However…
Don’t be so sure. Premium designers can sell their watch faces on the platform, and Facer has a lot of visibility on Google Play. Just search for “watch face”. Their app has over 1 million installations and everyone can purchase in-app items - the premium watch faces - ranging from 0,99€ to 36,99€. If I were a graphic designer with no programming experience, I would try to become a premium designer. After all, Facer team itself says you can earn a lot of money by designing watch faces and selling them: https://news.facer.io/facer-passes-1-million-smartwatch-users-and-designers-are-starting-to-make-big-selling-watch-8ca6338e00f5
The only thing we know about him/her is that he/she has never posted in the community (but I suspect that he/she soon will) and in 20 days or less (Joined Mar 21 / Seen Apr 12) has posted 38 high quality watch faces. Nearly two / day. Quite a performance.
All of the watch faces infringe copyright properties. All of them are still available and, as a nice side effect for any new app user (and, incidentally, for Facer popularity), all of them are easily found if you use the app and search for practically any famous watch brand. Such a generous contribution from an otherwise unknown non-premium designer, huh? Who wouldn’t fall in love with Facer? I would pay to see the total number of syncs but, alas, it’s impossible.
Wish you the best luck, really. I will be reading.
Well - at first i must say i am totally with you …
I already adressed this problem with the copyright infringements and the missing reactions as well in the past.
I personally hate Unfairness. Everyone should be handled the same and there have to be common rules what´s allowed and what´s not allowed…
This is not a question whether i am a premium designer or not… I already made the proposal in another posting to set in some kind of brand sheriffs but the facer staff never made any comment to it.
But - we can only speculate and don´t really know what their reasons are. First of all imhO they are a company. A company that needs visitors and potential customers. A company that needs promotion/advertising and big brands, that, as we all know, attract people.
I know, that there is a real flood of very simple watch faces but i also see that people can differ between them and quality watch faces - watch faces that really take days to produce,
And - even if Facer would ban all brand clones - there will always be watchmaker and/or facerepo where you will easily find all that you need.
I don´t know if it will help to post the names of all the “black sheeps” or more be contraproductive…
But i do know that the facer staff will never allow a brand cloner to become a premium designer, even if he/she makes a hundred of thousands syncs.
@UserUnknow I don´t think that they will ban you - the only thing you do is to speak out the truth. It´s an uncomfortable truth but i agree that it must be discussed. It´s their decision if they want to make a statement or not.
Ah - btw could you please write “allowed” instead of “aloud” - it´s irritating for me.
Tnx for your reaction, it’s good to see it’s not just me… And forgive my English… As an 54 year old Dutch guy my English is not as good as my Dutch . But I will pay more attention to my grammar, there is nothing wrong with pointing out bad grammar, that is the only way to improve.
If you want to use big brands to promote yourself, you usually pay for it.
What you are saying (speculating) is that Facer is intentionally not removing copyright protected watch faces, in order to attract customers, increase its user base, earn money from the app ads, from the upgrades to Facer Plus and from the premium watch faces market.
You say you hate unfairness.Do you find this fair?
The end justifies the means. This is what you really think.
And yet, despite the surprise of discovering your Machiavellianism, you manage to surprise me again.
If you don’t do something wrong, somebody will, so why not doing it, after all? I’m speechless. And you’re so wrong.
And do you want to know why? Because big brands usually turn a blind eye on “fan art” if nobody is earning money with it. But if you start selling it, and premium developers can, that’s the moment when they jump onto your throat.
What the big companies are maybe missing - and somebody should tell them - is that - as per your words - you can take advantage of a brand, without directly selling it. And that’s what’s happening here. You just explained it. And it will keep happening until Facer removes all of the copyrighted content from their catalog, not just the new one or the not-enough-good one.
I agree, But then should Staff aloud all fakes and not just the fakes made by a few users…
I have no problem respecting rules… but here the rules are not the same for every user… that is my probem and yes, it seems there is a reason for that…
I even have an email from Rolex telling they have no problem that I made and publish a copy of both my watches… ( I own an Daytona and an Airking) A brand like Rolex will not loose customers… Nobody who can aford a Rolex will buy a Smart watch and not the real deal…
But again, if the rules are no fakes fine… as long nobody is aloud to do so… But that part seems very hard to understand. I your also a great fan of letting some people ignore the red stopping light… that make just as much sense
As you said: Its all speculating about what they may think, what their reasons are…
I think you simply want to misunderstand me or want to provocate…
Once again, just for you, my personal suggestions:
-I think it´s unfair to measure in different ways.
-It´s not right in any case to clone brands.
-I don´t think it isn´t right to ignore it.
-The goal doesn´t justify the means.
-It´s not right from the companys to turn a blind eye on brand clones.
To enhance the list:
-The world shouldn´t have criminality.
-We should all live together in peace.
-Every human being should be nice person, pure in heart.
-We all have to follow the rules
-There shouldn´t be dictators/crazy presidents on this earth.
-We all should love each other.
I really don’t care about the world… (I did my time as a blue helmet in 1984/85)
A landed here a month ago and noticed a lot of replica’s one even wirse then the other but they were aloud… so I made a few good ones… and they got kicked… that make no sense to me.
The reason why is not important for me… However, I do no that as well for the Apple store as Google Play the app is in violation with their policy if tey make it possible to publish copyrighted material so the app might be pulled prettty soon.
A guy from Android police, who also use this site for his own watch, is working on a article… i’m not the only one who is confused by how the rules here work…
Phantasico, I think you are a good man, I already told you in our previous private conversation.
I’m just pointing out that, if you’re right about the reasons why Facer leaves copyrighted content on the front page, this is unfair and something needs to be done.
I think we all agree.
So, if I were to open a thread in the General section, asking for explanations, would i get your support?
What do you think about it, @UserUnknow?
A watch face containing copyrighted graphics/logos/names is rejected by the Samsung Galaxy Apps store during the content review process.
This is very interesting. I would like to get in touch with him to talk about the impact that apps like Facer, and the way they operate, is having on the independent watch face market.
People who like to develop watch faces and apps can just publish their own material using Play or Samsung store. People who want to use the easy way can use apps like Facer, you will never make much money and you never will be in control of your own material. (if Facer goes bust so does your work)
Apps like Facer only impact the development off free apps and faces, for those who just make them for fun Facer is great.
But just then it’s cool when all “artists” are treated equally…
I have contacts with a lot of people from the days I was doing something on Justin TV (now Twitch)
If you want to contact a site you best use their usual contact info… I do not have the time or interest to get involved in hooking people up.
Sorry for that but if you have a good story you always find ears specially in summertime with slow news…
You are completely wrong.
Why buy a watch face when there’s this free app where I can find thousands of them, even branded ones, without spending money?
Go find “dumping” on the web.
In economics, not in waste treatment. Just in case.
No problem. It was probably not worth the time, anyway.
Why paying? For the right on support, updates when needed and to “reward” a dev.
I pay with pleasure for apps or faces if it add something to my user experience. Often wear os or Tizen add functionality after an update or an update breaks things, Google for example has a ton of regulations for you as dev and that’s great for the paying user.
That is for example one reason I only make some free faces on Facer, if I get bored with it I can just walk away from the faces.
But yes, there is a lot of dumping, real good artists probably will not put to much energy in a system where they have to rely on a small site where Play give a secure environment for their work.
For free stuff this is a great place but you have to deal with no or little support from staff… Just read some comments here and on play a lot of people never get any response if they contact Facer… Even if they did pay for the app… And also the fake thing shows that the priority not really goes to the users…
But I end this discussion, I’m pretty sure things will solve themselves soon
The problem is not only the unfairness of eliminating some user brand clones while keeping others.
The problem is that it’s impossible to compete on the same market with someone giving away for free thousands of watch faces which had no production cost, including many reproducing famous commercial brands.
No independent watch face developer can compete against this.
The dumping I’m referring to is price dumping. If you can’t see it, I guess it’s useless trying to explain.
What is really sad, is that still nobody from staff seems to have any intrest to explain a few things… how hard can it be to get in the open why things are done like we all can see ??..
Disrespect for paying users is in my opinion the worst thing you can do… When you pay for an app suport should be fast, special on pretty easy quistions… Good people from staff, please keep in mind that the users who make the faces are the ones who put a price tag on you site… We users make or break a site like Facer so a little respect and a little more open about things would be nice…
. But I will pay more attention to my grammar, there is nothing wrong with pointing out bad grammar, that is the only way to improve.
