Piracy
Types of digital piracy, and how to spot them.
Copied apps, mirror sites, leaked manuals and exposed code all take something that's yours and put it somewhere you don't control. Here's what each looks like, the warning signs, and how to get copies taken down.
About this fileAll features unlocked. No account or login needed.3 100% working.
Download APK (48 MB). Turn on "Install unknown apps" first.4
- 1Mod or unlockedPaid features for free means the app has been changed. It isn't your app any more.
- 2Wrong site, unknown uploaderNot the App Store or Google Play, and not published by you.
- 3Checks taken outNo login promises usually mean security checks have been removed or bypassed.
- 4Switch off protectionInstalling from unknown sources turns off the phone's own safety check.
Tap a numbered part of the listing to see what it means.
How it works
How a copy of your app or content spreads.
Piracy rarely stops at one copy. Something is taken, repackaged, posted where people trust it, then copied again.
solsticepay-4.2.1.apkOps-Manual-v7.pdfsolsticepay.comTake
The original is copied.
An app file, a website, a document or a code repository is downloaded or scraped from where it lives.
Repackage
It's changed and renamed.
Paid features are "unlocked", ads or trackers are added, or a site is rebuilt under a new address.
Post
It goes up where people look.
Download sites, TV channel stores, file-sharing links, document libraries and code sites, often close to the real thing in search.
Spread
It's copied again.
Other sites scrape the listing, mirrors appear when one is blocked, and people who install a changed copy blame you when it goes wrong.
Types of digital piracy
Eight ways your app, site or content gets copied.
Some copies just take your traffic. Others are changed to steal logins or money. Pick one to see how it works.
Copied apps on APK sites
Download sites that repost a brand's Android app file so people can install it outside the official store.
How it works: the site copies your listing, icon and screenshots and offers the file as a direct download. Even an unchanged copy misses your updates, and people can't tell if it has been tampered with.
Watch Solstice Pay events and offers on your TV. Free to add.
TV and channel store copies
Unofficial apps and channels on smart TV and streaming device stores that use a brand's name and logo.
How it works: a third-party developer publishes a channel that looks official, sometimes several with small name changes. They're removed by the store under its copyright and trademark rules once ownership is shown.
Modded and cracked apps
Copies of an app that have been changed to unlock paid features or remove checks, then shared on mod sites.
How it works: the app is unpacked, edited and repackaged. The same process can add malware, trackers or a fake login screen, so a "free premium" app can end up stealing the account it was meant to unlock.
Mirror and clone sites
Copies of a brand's website on other addresses, presented as an official backup or local version.
How it works: mirrors are often promoted where the real site is blocked or hard to find. Some only send traffic elsewhere, others swap in their own login, payment or deposit pages.
Internal procedures, staff contacts and system screenshots.
Leaked documents and manuals
Internal manuals, training material, reports and sales decks posted on public document-sharing sites.
How it works: a file is uploaded by a former staff member, a supplier or someone who found it. Search engines index it, and it can hand scammers the wording, contacts and screenshots they need to look real.
Exposed code and keys
A brand's source code, internal tools or configuration files published in public code repositories.
How it works: code is pushed to a public repository by mistake or copied by a former contractor. It can include passwords, API keys or how internal systems work, so the keys need changing as well as the code removing.
File-sharing links
Links to cloud storage and file-hosting services carrying a brand's paid content, internal files or app builds.
How it works: the file sits on a hosting service and the link is shared in forums, chats and comment threads. Removing the file at the host breaks every copy of the link at once.
Restreamed from the official broadcast with the logo cropped out.
Unauthorised streams
Live events, shows or paid content restreamed or reposted on sites and channels that don't have the rights.
How it works: the stream is captured and rebroadcast, often wrapped in ads or pop-ups. Viewers get pushed to fake subscription or "verify your age" pages that ask for card details.
In the data
What piracy looks like in our cases.
Copied apps, mirror sites, leaked documents and exposed code we pursued between January and June 2026.
of the piracy cases we pursued were confirmed taken down
of the copied apps we pursued on APK sites and TV channel stores were removed
were copies of a brand's own app, more than every other type combined
of the leaked documents and file-sharing links we pursued were removed
What was copied
- App copies
57% - Source code
17% - Leaked documents and files
13% - Mirror sites
13%
Copied apps were spread across many download sites and TV channel stores at once. Removing every copy is what keeps them down.
Source: Unphish piracy cases (copied apps, mirror sites, leaked documents and exposed code) opened January to June 2026. Takedown rates exclude cases closed for other reasons, such as at the client's request. Example names are illustrative. Figures are rounded.
Why brands get copied
If people want it, someone will copy it.
Popular apps, sites and content attract copies because people already trust the name. The brand carries the risk, even when it never published the copy.
Your name brings the downloads
People search for your app or content by name, so copies using it rank in search and get installed.
Copies are quick to make
An app file, a website or a PDF can be copied in minutes and reposted on dozens of sites.
You carry the blame
If a changed copy steals a login or spreads malware, customers remember whose logo was on it.
Australians pirated online content in 2022, across music, film, TV, live sport and games.
Source: Consumer Survey on Online Copyright Infringement 2022, Australian GovernmentLinked copies
One copy is rarely the only one.
When an app or site is copied, the same file usually turns up on several sites at once under slightly different names. Removing them together stops people finding the next one in search.
- The same file, icon or screenshots on several download sites
- Near-identical names, with Live, TV or Pro added
- The same uploader or publisher behind each listing
- New mirrors that appear when one address is blocked
- APKapkfree-hub.net/solstice-payDirect download of the app fileRemoved
- TVSolstice Pay Live TVSmart TV channel storeRemoved
- TVSolstice Pay Live and RewardsSame publisher, new nameRemoved
- MODmodzone.io/solstice-pay-premiumChanged to unlock featuresReported
Use case
How teams use Unphish to stop piracy.
Copies of your app, site and content land with product, security and legal teams at once. Unphish finds them on download sites, channel stores, document libraries and code sites, proves they're unauthorised and gets them removed.
Product and digital
Only your app in people's hands.
We find copies of your app on download sites, mod sites and TV channel stores.
Security
Fewer tampered copies and leaked keys.
We flag modified builds and exposed code, so keys can be changed fast.
Legal and brand
Your content used only with permission.
We send copyright and trademark takedowns with the evidence attached.
Content and marketing
Paid content stays paid.
We remove reposted manuals, courses, streams and file-sharing links.
A copy of your app appears on an APK download site and two TV channel stores.
- 01Spotted
The listings using your app's name, icon and screenshots are picked up and scored.
Sees an alert in the Threat Feed.
- 02Checked
An analyst confirms they're unauthorised copies and captures the listings, publisher details and download links.
Gets the evidence pack and approves enforcement in one click.
- 03Taken down
Copyright and trademark reports go to each site and store with proof the app is yours, and are escalated until removed.
Follows live status in the Enforcement Centre. No forms to fill in.
- 04Linked
Other listings from the same publisher or with the same file are grouped into one campaign and removed together.
Follows the whole campaign behind the listings.
- 05Reported
Removal is verified and new uploads of the app are watched for.
Gets reporting for product, security and legal.
Case study · Airline group
100%
of the copies of the group's apps we pursued on download sites were removed between January and June 2026.
Unofficial copies of the group's booking, pay, wellbeing and in-flight entertainment apps were reposted on APK download sites and third-party app stores, outside the official stores and their security updates.
See Mobile App Protection →Client name withheld to protect confidentiality.
Jargon, decoded
The piracy terms worth knowing.
The words product, security and legal teams use, in plain English.
- APK file
- The install file for an Android app. Download sites repost them so apps can be installed outside Google Play. solsticepay-4.2.1.apk
- Sideloading
- Installing an app from outside the official store, which skips the store's own safety checks. "Install unknown apps"
- Modded app
- A copy of an app that has been changed, usually to unlock paid features or remove checks. "Premium unlocked"
- Mirror site
- A copy of a website on a different address, often promoted as an official backup. solsticepay-mirror.vip
- Copyright notice
- A request to a host or platform to remove material that copies something you own, with proof it's yours. a DMCA notice
- Trademark report
- A takedown request made when a brand's name or logo is used in a way that misleads people. your logo as an app icon
- Exposed secret
- A password, API key or token left in public code or files, which needs changing as well as removing. API_KEY = "sk_live_…"
- Re-upload
- The same file or listing posted again after it's removed, often under a slightly new name. Solstice Pay Pro v2
Warning signs
How to spot a copy of your app or content.
A real-looking example
Listed on apkfree-hub.net, not Google Play or the App Store3
About this app: Premium unlocked, no ads, no login.4
Requires SMS, contacts and accessibility access.5
Slow download? Use our mirror link instead.6
- 1Not your publisher nameThe developer or uploader isn't the account you publish under.
- 2Old or odd version numbersCopies lag behind your latest release, or invent versions that don't exist.
- 3Not an official storeAPK sites and third-party stores aren't where you publish.
- 4Unlocked or free versionsPaid features for free means the app has been changed.
- 5Extra permissionsAccess to texts, contacts or accessibility can be used to read codes and take over accounts.
- 6Mirror download linksExtra links lead to more copies, and sometimes to malware.
Checklist for your team
Copy of your app or content? Here's what to do.
Copies spread fast and come back under new names, so the first few steps matter most.
0 of 5 done
Tap each step to tick it off.
If customer data was exposed, report it
Want us to handle it? Request a takedown →
For your customers
Help customers find the real app.
Two short notes you can adapt for your website, app store pages, emails or support replies. One shows people where to get the real app. The other tells them what to do if they've installed a copy.
The copied version leaves blanks for your company name and official details.
How to get the real Solstice Pay app
- Only download it from the App Store or Google Play. The links are at solsticepay.com/app.
- Check the publisher is Solstice Pay before you install.
- We don't offer APK downloads, mod versions or "premium unlocked" builds.
- We'll never ask you to turn on "Install unknown apps".
- Not sure? Start at solsticepay.com and follow the link from there.
Seen a copy? Report it at solsticepay.com/report
ExampleInstalled a copy of our app?
- Delete the app from your phone.
- Change your password and turn on two-step login.
- Turn off "Install unknown apps" in your phone's settings.
- Call your bank if you entered card details.
- Tell us where you found it, so we can get it taken down.
Then install the real app from the App Store or Google Play.
ExampleHow Unphish stops it
Get the copies taken down.
Unphish finds copies of your app, site and content on download sites, channel stores, document libraries and code sites, proves they're unauthorised and gets them removed. Then we keep watching for re-uploads.
- Every case checked by an analyst before a report is sent
- Copyright and trademark proof handled for you
- Copies from the same uploader removed together
Icon, screenshots and description copied from the official listing
- DetectedListing using the app's name and icon
- Evidence capturedListing, file details and download links
- Confirmed by an analystUnauthorised copy of the app
- Reported to the site and hostCopyright and trademark notice with proof of ownership
- Linked copies foundSame file on two more download sites, reported too
- Removed and watchedRemoval verified, re-uploads monitored
FAQ
Piracy questions, answered.
What is digital piracy?
Digital piracy is copying or sharing someone else's content, software or files without permission. For a brand, that often means its app reposted on download sites, its website cloned as a mirror, or internal documents and code posted publicly.
Is a copy of our app on an APK site really a problem?
Yes. Even an unchanged copy is outside your control: it won't get your updates, and people can't tell whether it has been tampered with. Modified versions can carry malware or strip out security checks, and customers blame the brand when something goes wrong.
What's the difference between a mirror site and a phishing site?
A mirror site copies a real site, often to get around blocks or to send traffic somewhere else. A phishing site copies a login or payment page to steal details. Many mirror sites end up doing both, so they're treated as a takedown priority.
How do you get pirated content taken down?
We confirm the content is yours and unauthorised, capture the evidence, and send a takedown request under the site's or platform's copyright, trademark or abuse rules. Requests are escalated if there's no response, and removal is confirmed.
How long does it take to remove pirated content?
It depends on the site or platform. App stores and large document sites usually act on a complete request, while smaller download sites can be slower and may need escalating to their host.
What should we do if internal documents or code are leaked?
Save the link and note what's exposed, change any passwords, keys or tokens in it straight away, and ask the site or code host to remove it. If customer data is involved, check your reporting obligations.
Can piracy be stopped completely?
No one can stop every copy, but finding copies early and removing them quickly limits how far they spread. Ongoing monitoring catches re-uploads and new mirrors as they appear.
By industry
Piracy in your industry.
Every sector gets copied in its own way. See the copies we find and take down in yours.
01
Airline and Transport
Copied booking, pay and in-flight entertainment apps.
02
Banking and Financial Services
Copied banking apps and leaked internal documents.
03
Crypto
Copied wallet apps and mirror sites.
04
Retail and E-Commerce
Copied shopping apps and cloned store sites.
05
Public Sector and Government
Unofficial copies of government apps and documents.
06
Lottery and Gambling
Mirror sites and modded betting apps.
07
Fintech
Repackaged apps and exposed code.
08
Non-Profit Organisations
Copied appeal pages and donation forms.
09
Film and Entertainment
Restreamed shows and reposted paid content.
Keep exploring
Try it
Real or copy?
Five places offering Solstice Pay, our example company. Its app is published by Solstice Pay on the App Store and Google Play, and linked from solsticepay.com/app. Which would you trust?
The quickest check: get apps from the official store, from the brand's own publisher, and start from its website.
Found a copy of your app or content?
Send it to us. We'll confirm it's unauthorised, get it removed and keep watching for new copies.