Amazon reveals a new way to get booted from Google's Play Store, prompting the search engine company to revise its rules.
Google appears to have removed the Amazon app from the Play Store after realizing that the software brought with it integration to the e-commerce company's own Appstore.
It's unclear if the app removed was executed or if Amazon complied with a request to delist it, as the Amazon app is currently available via a direct download from the Play Store. The previous version of the Amazon app enabled users to browse and purchase apps and games from Amazon.
The previous version of the Amazon app appears to have been replaced by Amazon Shopping. The Amazon shopping app is said to have all the features of its predecessors, though it doesn't include the Appstore element.
The Amazon App was launched on Sept. 9 to enable consumers to purchase content from Amazon's entire digital catalog, including the Prime Instant Video player, Amazon said in a statement announcing the refresh of the app.
"Google subsequently changed their Developer Distribution Agreement on September 25," stated Amazon. "As a result, we removed the app from Google Play and published the Amazon Shopping app."
Google's amended Google Play Developer Distribution Agreement was updated on Sept. 25 to include the following language:
"You may not use the Store to distribute or make available any Product which has a purpose that facilitates the distribution of software applications and games for use on Android devices outside of the Store," states section 4.5 of the developer distribution agreement.
Amazon didn't hide the fact that its previous app would allow customers to shop the e-commerce site's digital catalog when it announced the previous app in a press release. But while it boasted that users could rent or buy more than 200,000 movies and stream 30 million songs, it never said anything about apps and games.
"Now, the latest Amazon App for Android combines that award-winning mobile shopping experience with access to Amazon's digital products and services, including unlimited streaming of tens of thousands of movies and TV episodes at no additional cost for Prime members," Paul Cousineau, Amazon's director of Mobile Shopping, stated in the release.
When TechCrunch asked Amazon about the app back in October, a representative responded with the following:
"We now offer the ability for customers to purchase videos, songs, audiobooks, apps and games from within the Amazon app."
