Purchasing app that's already installed

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Level 1

12 points

Purchasing app that's already installed

Hi everyone,

When Lion came out and we needed to update xcode in the office, instead of everyone downloading the exact same installer 20 times, one person downloaded xcode from the app store then shared the installer to everyone on the network. The installation went fine, everything works fine, but now when it comes time to update, I'm not able to update xcode under my account because it was 'purchased' (loose term, consdering the app is free) through a different account.

Deleting the _MASReceipt folder from the installer means that the app no longer shows as installed in the App Store, however I'm still not able to update via Software Update.

Just wondering how I can 'purchase' xcode under my account so I can receive updates without having to completely uninstall and download a duplicate copy of an installer I already have?

Thanks in advance,

Christian

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7)

Posted on Aug 5, 2011 8:23 PM

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Answer 1

Aug 5, 2011 8:30 PM in response to levymetal

Each App from the App Store is, in a non-technical stand point. Linked to a account. You may just need to redownload the installer through your account or see if you can temporarly log in to the person who downloaded it's account to update.

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Answer 2

levymetal Author

Level 1

12 points

Aug 5, 2011 11:01 PM in response to AppMechanics

Haha so I already have an app installed, and I already have the installer for the app, yet I have to uninstall the app and redownload the installer that I already have, just so I can get updates? I think I'll email apple about this - seems like a big joke.

Thanks for the help though, thought there might be a way to avoid this, seems like there isn't 😟

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Answer 3

Dah•veed

Level 9

66,547 points

Aug 6, 2011 8:56 AM in response to levymetal

There is no way to avoid this. The apps in the MAS have Digital Rights Management. The DRM involves more than the MAS receipt. But you need to be updating your own apps if you originally bought the app and not sharing around someone else's installer. You have now converted the app that was on your Mac, associated to your Apple ID, to an app that is associated with this other person's Apple ID.

One of the big drawbacks is that the person who downloaded the update installer and passed it around, is now in violation of the End User License Agreement and your whole group is technically using a pirated app.

The other thing is that if this is a business, you lot should be using Apple's business/education multi-license program, not downloading the consumer apps with a consumer EULA.

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Answer 4

levymetal Author

Level 1

12 points

Aug 6, 2011 6:16 PM in response to levymetal

Dah•veed wrote:

One of the big drawbacks is that the person who downloaded the update installer and passed it around, is now in violation of the End User License Agreement and your whole group is technically using a pirated app.

The other thing is that if this is a business, you lot should be using Apple's business/education multi-license program, not downloading the consumer apps with a consumer EULA.

I haven't read the EULA, but if you're telling me that we're in violation because we're sharing a free app then that's ridiculous, whether it's part of the EULA or not. When 20 people have to download the exact same 3gb file just so it can be associated to their own account, that's a crappy system, and I'll happily be called a pirate for saving ~60gb of bandwidth for the sake of some DRM stuff And to answer your question, no, it's not a business, just a shared workspace.

FishComputer wrote:

you would have to redownload it.

And besides, why keep the installer, its hogging alost 4 GB of space (and in my case, an 80 GB drive goes nowhere if I do stuff like that)

I think you missed the point... I already have the installer for the app, but in order to associate the app to my account I have to redownload the exact same installer that I already have. Waste of bandwidth and time. Anyway I'm pretty sure you actually need to keep the installer so that the App Store knows Xcode is installed (only happens with Xcode, not other apps).

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Answer 5

Dah•veed

Level 9

66,547 points

Aug 6, 2011 6:30 PM in response to levymetal

but if you're telling me that we're in violation because we're sharing a free app then that's ridiculous

You are not sharing a free app, you are sharing the update to paid apps. You all needed to buy Xcode from Apple through the MAS at some point or you would not have it and you would not have updates that come through the MAS. Too bad that you are not a business because then you could have bought multiple licenses and your IT dept would be able to distribute updates much the way you wish. As it is, if you contact Apple, I am pretty sure Apple will tell you what I have told you, only then they will have a better idea of who you are and where you are.

Was that a knock at the door? 😉

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Answer 6

levymetal Author

Level 1

12 points

Aug 6, 2011 6:48 PM in response to Dah•veed

Dah•veed wrote:

but if you're telling me that we're in violation because we're sharing a free app then that's ridiculous

You are not sharing a free app, you are sharing the update to paid apps. You all needed to buy Xcode from Apple through the MAS at some point or you would not have it and you would not have updates that come through the MAS.

Xcode has been free ever since Lion came out. Next time check your facts before trying to be a smart-arse.

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Answer 7

Dah•veed

Level 9

66,547 points

Aug 6, 2011 8:03 PM in response to levymetal

I am not trying to be smart, perhaps misinformed because I bought Xcode and thought that the Lion version was a free update to my paid app. And the title of your topic is "Purchasing," so you lead me to believe that you were discussing paid apps.

You have never bought Xcode from the MAS?

But whether an app is a paid app or a free app, the EULA is just as valid.

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Answer 8

levymetal Author

Level 1

12 points

Aug 6, 2011 8:07 PM in response to Dah•veed

Dah•veed wrote:

I am not trying to be smart, perhaps misinformed because I bought Xcode and thought that the Lion version was a free update to my paid app.

You have never bought Xcode from the MAS?

But whether an app is a paid app or a free app, the EULA is just as valid.

Nope I never bought Xcode from the MAS, I was thinking about it but never bought it. Then Lion came out and Xcode pricing was changed to free. My friend downloaded it and shared it with me (as per this thread), but obviously that wasn't so good because I couldn't get updates without his login details. So I uninstalled it and deleted the installer, and downloaded it myself from MAS with my account. Now I've got a licenced copy to myself, but yeah, it was all free.

Sure, the EULA is still valid, but I absolutely don't agree with it because I had to waste my time uninstalling, redownloading, and reinstalling stuff I already had just to get updates. If they wanted to they could build in a feature to re-licence installed MAS software from one account to another (this would even work for paid apps, you just pay the fee and it gets licenced to your account). But it's not Apple's time or bandwidth being wasted so they wouldn't care, I'm 0.001% of the users who actually care about this.

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