Do I need Google Play Licensing?

Question

I have an app that I want to market on google Play. Initially I want to charge a fixed price for the app.

I'm used to marketing apps on the Windows Phone Marketplace where a user simply has to pay to get the app - no "licensing" is necessary because the user can't get the app without paying for it.

I read the material about Google Play licensing and it seems to imply that unless I use the LVL, users can get ahold of my app for free. Is that right? On the other hand, if Google Play won't let them have the app without paying, why do I need to use licensing?

Answer 1

As the docs say, this is really to

verify that the current user did in fact pay for the application on Google Play

This is to combat piracy. Google Play won't give them the app without paying, but they might obtain the app from another source without paying and install it manually. This provides a runtime check.