ic_menu
Kuro to Shiro Scans

Este post também está disponível em Português clicando aqui

Update 3 (Mar 6): Kuro Reader is back on the Play Store! There’s a huge difference in the name (lol) but the app is the same.

Free: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=br.com.kurotoshiro.kuro_reader
Paid: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=br.com.kurotoshiro.kuro_reader_pro

At the moment we have 421 codes for the pro version (updated Mar. 3, 10:00 PST) that are being distributed to those who bought the app before, if you bought it please contact us at apps@kurotoshiro.dev (using the email you used to make the purchase), the rule is: first-come, first-served. The Play Store allows 500 free codes per quarter, so if you don’t get it now, you’ll get it after 3 months (or more). But everyone can use the github version with manual activation.

* Google Drive services will be back in the coming weeks

Update 2 (Feb 24): We’ve released the new versions on github! Unfortunately the Google Drive services aren’t available yet, but they’ll be back soon. I’ll also be trying to get the apps back on the Play Store soon, but for now you can download the app from the link below:

https://github.com/VandersonQk/KuroReaderReleases

Update 1 (Feb 12): We have the first working version of the activation system already in testing! Currently the app side is 80% done, and the server side is about 40% done. At first, the activation process will be manual, for offline use. Then in future updates, maybe an automatic and online system. More updates in this week!

——————————————————————————————————

On February 5, 2024, the Kuro Reader and Kuro Reader PRO apps were suspended from the Play Store for allegedly violating copyright. On the same day, we submitted a appeal and it was denied, which led to the definitive suspension (ban).

– Why were the apps banned?
Because we used blurred images from a Dragon Ball manga in our Play Store screenshots, even though it was categorized by law as fair use, but we were banned without even having the option to remove the images.

– What could we have done?
The only option we’ve been given to reverse the ban is a legal battle against a multi-million dollar company, which we have no way of winning: if we win the battle, we’ll still have a lot of financial losses with legal costs, if we lose the financial loss is multiplied by 100 and we’ll still be without the app.

At the moment we have nothing to do but try to rebuild. Our user base currently stands at 50,000 users, and we’re unlikely to recover that in the short term.

We’ve been given the option of sending the app back to the Play Store, starting from scratch. Using a new ID, and removing the “copyright infringing content”.

– What about the paid app?
I know that thousands of people have bought the app, and honestly, there’s no way I can restore the pro version for them instantly. Google does offer the option of getting some codes for users to activate paid apps for free, but it’s limited to 500 per quarter. That’s 2000 per year, which means it would take years to get codes to all users.

One of the main problems is that there is no way of identifying who bought it, as we only have access to the order ids (code format GPA.1111-2222-3333-44444).

At the moment we’re trying to create an alternative activation system for the pro version using the order code, but this is a bit complicated because we’re trying to create a system that doesn’t force the user to connect to the internet every time they open the app.

– Refunds
We tried to refund Kuro Reader Pro orders from January and February, but all attempts ended up with the same error, which doesn’t give us any extra information:

– Return of the app to the store
We will try to put the app back in the store in a few weeks, with a new id but still with the same name, initially the free version and later the paid version, unfortunately we still have no way of recovering the paid version through the Play Store for those who have already bought it.

Comentários

  1. Jus disse:

    Hopefully it comes back. I’d literally just left a review AND paid for the app less than 24 hours before it disappeared from the store. I attempted to get a refund via Google but they refused, so I was not happy :/

  2. Patricia Hernández disse:

    Hi, I was One of the pro users. My cel die and when I tried to reinstall kuro couldn’t find it anywhere. I’d like to keep using it, what can I do? (I still have it on my tablet where I usually read comics, but haven’t use it on a couole of weeks, hope it works)

{respose-title}
Comente também!