title: Reserving a package name on Google Play
body: <p>Application names on Google Play don't need to be unique, and it's possible to request Google to remove violating apps through trademark claims or DCMA. What's not really clear, however, is how it works with package names.</p>
  
  <p>What if I'm developing "the Google app" (forgive me for a silly example) but somebody beats me to registering <code>com.google</code>?</p>
  
  <ol>
  <li>Can I prevent this from happening by uploading a signed, <em>though unpublished</em> APK to Google Play? Or do I actually have to publish the empty app?</li>
  <li>Can I request Google Play to remove the existing app with its package name (and allow me to take it) because they've illegitimately used "google" in the package name?</li>
  </ol>
  
  <p>Another question <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/3204774/how-can-you-reserve-a-name-for-an-application">appears here on Stack Overflow</a>, but doesn't really address package names.</p>