Is iTunes App Store the first managed freeware?

Just realizing that the iTunes App Store may just be the first mass-market delivery mechanism for freeware that actually tracks - in one location - each and every download of the software.

Up until now, whenever someone downloads freeware - say for Windows, the Palm, or Series 60 phones - they’ve been free to share it with others without notifying the original author.  Sure, some applications have built-in beacons and/or freeware registration, but the App Store is the first to do it on a mass basis.

So for the first time, we have a definitive count of the number of cheapskates out there.