Darth Micky has sent his Sith lawyers to do thy bidding 
Edited by MarinealverX-Wing Companion @XWingCompanionUnfortunately Disney has pulled the app from the USA Play Store. I have contacted Disney, but I'm not sure if/when the app will be back.
X-wing Companion got taken down by Disney.
Noooooooooooooo!
This is why I advocate software that you can download and install without having to use Apple's Orwellian software. Once it's made and out there, there's nothing companies can do to get rid of it. If it's an app though, you can bet someone will try and squash it.
Though I do not use that particular app, its a shame when there is a clear desire for such an app (as shown by the several squad builder programme's out there) that gets shut down without actually offering a legitimate alternative.
Surely FFG could make a squad builder app that everyone could use, I'm still looking for a Escalation List builder.
Though I do not use that particular app, its a shame when there is a clear desire for such an app (as shown by the several squad builder programme's out there) that gets shut down without actually offering a legitimate alternative.
Surely FFG could make a squad builder app that everyone could use, I'm still looking for a Escalation List builder.
It actually wasn't that much of a squadron builder list however it had important information such as movement dials stat actions as well as cards listed by ship or upgrade type. It even showed which expansion pack you can get those pilots/upgrades or browse by set showing what you receive in an expansion pack helping people make purchase decisions.
Why would Disney take such a thing down, I don't know some legal intern or law associate is trying to pad their resume by saying the helped a mega corp secure a lawsuit against copyright infringement. I don't hate lawyers, but I do hate the stupid ones that suck money for no good reason.
And so it begins...
I have no idea what Disney even gains from doing this. If they had a competing app or even one in the making, this would at least make some sense, but to just do it because they can is achieving nothing but a lot of pissed off players. And it just completely goes along with the picture of the evil Megacorp haunting people that produce harmless freeware with their lawyers.
Good job Disney, really well done . I had just started believing that them making the new movies was actually a good thing, but this reminds me that they are in fact just pressing out the money from the label they just bought like one could expect!
I have no idea what Disney even gains from doing this. If they had a competing app or even one in the making, this would at least make some sense, but to just do it because they can is achieving nothing but a lot of pissed off players. And it just completely goes along with the picture of the evil Megacorp haunting people that produce harmless freeware with their lawyers.
Good job Disney, really well done . I had just started believing that them making the new movies was actually a good thing, but this reminds me that they are in fact just pressing out the money from the label they just bought like one could expect!
Maeby they have such a app, and slowly making room for it?
Wow thats terrible news! I really like the app and use it while playing for the moves a ship can do, also I use it to think about purchases for which upgrade is found in which set.
I fully expect that this is due to FFG/Disney cooking up their own.
Could this be in preparation for the squad builder that appeared in that leaked presentation a while back?
Could this be in preparation for the squad builder that appeared in that leaked presentation a while back?
What are talking about? Missed this one...
That's disappointing.
I fully expect that this is due to FFG/Disney cooking up their own.
Maybe, but I think it's likely that Disney is simply protecting the IP. The exact legalities are quite complicated (or so I'm told; I'm no expert by any means), but boiling it down to simple terms: you kind of have to be as big a jerk as you can be in order to guarantee you retain any IP rights you paid for. If a third party is using your IP, and there is a reasonable degree of public awareness that said third party is using your IP, and you do not do anything about it, the legal system may consider your inaction to be a sort-of surrender of the license. Other companies can then use that against you if they decide to start using the license and you try to go after them.
Considering the amount of money Disney paid for the IP, I think it would be a good bet that they will be extremely aggressive when it comes to anyone using the license without paying for it.
(I'll also note that I totally disagree with the current implementation of IP laws, and even the concept of 'intellectual property' as a thing - but given the current framework, Disney's handing out every C&D they can seems pretty rational to me).
They would probably spend less money to just buy the app and hire him to make it. Then it could be done off iTunes, as well. Maybe even charge $1 for it.
This is why I advocate software that you can download and install without having to use Apple's Orwellian software. Once it's made and out there, there's nothing companies can do to get rid of it. If it's an app though, you can bet someone will try and squash it.
Then don't use Apple. Simple enough. Half the price of those things is paying for the half eaten fruit on the back.
I thought I had heard that it was still availble for android, just not from google play. (downloadable from a 3rd party site maybe?)
This is why I advocate software that you can download and install without having to use Apple's Orwellian software. Once it's made and out there, there's nothing companies can do to get rid of it. If it's an app though, you can bet someone will try and squash it.
Except that it's the Google Play store that complied with Disney's C&D/DMCA notice, not the iOS App Store. (Apple wouldn't take the app in the first place due to the use of copyrighted images.)
You have to stop people from using your IP without a licence, otherwise, eventually, anyone can use it. It is kind of like squatter rights.
However, I do strongly agree that "they" should use a lighter touch when addressing non-commercial use of their IP. (Perhaps have a limited licence they can dole out, etc(
I tried this app and didn't care for it much. Yet Another and X-Wing Squad online ones work great. I assume that it comes down to non FFG and/or any star wars copyrighted material. Shouldn't be an issue to republish without pics etc, or contact FFG to confirm usage of their pics.
I would have made an Itunes app, but I don't know how. 
I would used animated gifs like when they previewed models on their site. Thats just me.
Good luck companion!
What about this guy http://www.starbase79.com/?
He says he's copy written all kinds of stuff, Star Ship Enterprise, Imperial Shuttle blueprints, etc...
Is he official?
You have to stop people from using your IP without a licence, otherwise, eventually, anyone can use it. It is kind of like squatter rights.
However, I do strongly agree that "they" should use a lighter touch when addressing non-commercial use of their IP. (Perhaps have a limited licence they can dole out, etc(
The problem was probably that this wasn't non-commercial - the app has ads if it. It may have been free to download but he was making money (probably not much) by serving up ads next to their copyrighted images. It may be annoying, but the take down makes sense.
I'd also be interested in seeking clarification on 'taken down by Disney' statement. Is there any proof that Disney issued a C&D or removal request or did it get pulled by the app store for other reasons, or is there just something else going on and Disney is getting blamed?
You have to stop people from using your IP without a licence, otherwise, eventually, anyone can use it. It is kind of like squatter rights.
However, I do strongly agree that "they" should use a lighter touch when addressing non-commercial use of their IP. (Perhaps have a limited licence they can dole out, etc(
The problem was probably that this wasn't non-commercial - the app has ads if it. It may have been free to download but he was making money (probably not much) by serving up ads next to their copyrighted images. It may be annoying, but the take down makes sense.
In that case i absolutely agree. If he used copyrighted pictures to make money then it's a no-go.
It is very important for a company to enforce their copyright controls. Failure to do so actually weakens their ability to enforce their copyright control in the future.
Often times it's not a matter of who is infringing on a copyright but the manner. There are squad builders out there that give you a ton of information and work well enough on a smartphone. In fact I rarely use anything but a smartphone for any of my Internet use including squad building and this post.
Those squad builders are probably in little danger of being hit with a cease and desist even though they are the top search engine rankings for "x-wing squad builder" specifically because they aren't apps.
The issue here is specifically that when you have something in an app store you have crossed into an arena that any copyright holder has a greater vested interest in enforcing. It doesn't matter that the X-wing companion may have been free and neither FFG or the mouse have an app for the game out there but rather that they need to keep that arena free of copyright infringement and available for their own use. They may not ever have a squad builder app (free or monetized) but they might want to someday.
It's also an issue of precedent.
Bottom line is simple. Copyright holders (eespecially ones as large as the mouse) MUST enforce their copyrights or risk damage future legal leverage in which to enforce them in another situation regardless if this situation is rather innocuous.
This is why I advocate software that you can download and install without having to use Apple's Orwellian software. Once it's made and out there, there's nothing companies can do to get rid of it. If it's an app though, you can bet someone will try and squash it.
Then don't use Apple. Simple enough. Half the price of those things is paying for the half eaten fruit on the back.
I don't use Apple...