Google slaps CyanogenMod dev with cease and desist letter

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Shripad

Shripad

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Everyone’s favorite Android hacker appears to have angered someone at Google. We just received word that Cyanogen has received a cease and desist letter from Google. Details are scarce, but it appears Google is not happy about Cyanogen distributing their closed source Android apps (Market, Talk, Gmail, YouTube, etc). CyanogenMod is easily the most popular custom Android rom with over 30,000 active users.
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Ok, I have immense respect for google for what they have done with the web and with Android, and this is why this really disappoints me.

I really hope google understands that CyanogenMod has made Android more popular and if they try to kill or suppress it in any way over such pathetic reason, the dev community is going to turn their backs on Android which is not good. Even Microsoft understood it. I hope goodle does too.
Source : CyanogenMod in trouble? – Android and Me
 
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Ok, then why doesn't he just remove those app's from the distribution? Andriod is a open platform, so If he doesn't include Google's closed source IP then he should be fine right? Google's demands seem reasonable to me, after all those apps are their IP.
 
Lord Nemesis said:
Ok, then why doesn't he just remove those app's from the distribution? Andriod is a open platform, so If he doesn't include Google's closed source IP then he should be fine right? Google's demands seem reasonable to me, after all those apps are their IP.
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If it comes to that, he will have to. But thats extra headache for the users. Its not a big deal. These guys are not changing anything in those apps. In fact modaco has stopped bundling google maps as he thinks users should do it themselves from android market as it gets updated frequently.

The problem is google's attitude. These are free apps that someone is including in the roms to make things easier for the end user. Why meddle in there when platform like android really needs the community support.

This will put off many others from even trying to bring out custom roms.
 
^^ Well the point is that the distribution still has IP that exclusively belongs to google and the fact that its a free distribution doesn't change anything. Will Oracle or any other company that develops closed source/commercial software for Linux allow anyone to bundle their software in a free Linux distribution just like that without their explicit permission just because the distribution creator is not making any money out of it.
 
if apple or ms did it, nobody would bat an eye. Google is one of those companies supposed to be different. well, not any more.

They are will within their rights to, but still :)
 
There are no doubt or questions asked about the Google's right.

There are plenty of closed source addons and apps which are free to distribute.

And google is well within its right to do this. Question is, whether they should have done this or not considering its not harming them in any way but contrary its increasing popularity of Android platform ( which itself is open os, free, and all the apps bundles are also free. ).

User have to use their gmail account to effectively use the google functionality on android anyway. So in the end they will be connecting to goodle.

I dont really see why they needed to do even bother with this and scare off potential modders.
 
Guys... this has to do with the fact that he put the new version of Android Market 1.6 in his latest Donut release. This app hadn't even been released by Google yet... so yes they were pissed because he wasn't even supposed to have the app let alone release before they did. I am sure this will all blow over, he is trying to work it out with them... but IMO people over at XDA have gone a little overboard about this, and most are not aware of all of the facts. Personally I think he is a great developer that has done a huge amount for the Android community... but he should have been more careful about his release of closed source material.
 
I always thought open source could be modded . . So they are closed . . What about the firefox addons are they too violation in anyway . .
 
I think this will work itself out, google cannot afford to have the whole Android community mad at them... and neither can any of the manufacturers like T-Mobile. Check out this pretty impartial view and link to Google's response.
 
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