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Can someone explain this?

https://f-droid.org/2025/09/29/google-developer-registration...

> The F-Droid project cannot require that developers register their apps through Google, but at the same time, we cannot “take over” the application identifiers for the open-source apps we distribute, as that would effectively seize exclusive distribution rights to those applications.

I don't understand the argument.

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The first part is obvious I think (they don't want to make registration in google's store a requirement for f-droid since that defeats half the purpose of f-droid).

The other half is suggesting they could offer uploading the apps put into f-droid to the store (under an f-droid account I'd guess) but they immediately discard that option since it would make f-droid the exclusive distributor, taking something from the dev.

why would the dev lose the right to distribute their app?

The signing key with the majority of installs "wins" the package name for use, meaning that only the developer or F-Droid's key can be used for one app.

could they just append f-droid to the name then?

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