Google got our attention by touting Android as an open source platform for mobile devices. Having had to deal with closed OS platforms, especially Apple’s tight-noose control over what goes on and off the iPhone, mobile enthusiasts looking for greater liberty with their mobile devices flocked over to Android.
Recently, Google flexed its muscles against third party modding of Android, claiming that it violates some of their intellectual property rights. According to CoolSmartPhone, here is Google’s official line on the subject:
“Android apps for many of our services like YouTube, Gmail, Google Voice, and so on [are] Google’s way of benefiting from Android in the same way that any other developer can, but the apps are not part of the Android platform itself. We make some of these apps available to users of any Android-powered device via Android Market, and others are pre-installed on some phones through business deals. Either way, these apps aren’t open source, and that’s why they aren’t included in the Android source code repository. Unauthorized distribution of this software harms us just like it would any other business, even if it’s done with the best of intentions.”
Compare this with the fact that for years, Microsoft has ignored the tons of modding that is carried out on its Windows Mobile OS, and it is beginning to look like Andoid is not quite as open as we might have thought. If anything else, Android is not looking as attractive as it used to be.
Android fans are vexed and ranting all across the internet – some going as far as saying that they are through with Android OS devices.
It is looking interesting. Your thoughts on this development?
This post was written by
Mister Mobility – who has written 926 posts on Mobility blog.
Founder, Mobility blog, serial lifestyle entrepreneur, speaker, & writer. Charming, passionate, tenacious & non-conformist. Will dance! Follow him on Twitter @Mister_Mobility.
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September 29th, 2009 at 2:58 pm Browsing with
i think Google has a right to issue a C&S on the modding of their apps like the GMail as people don’t not understand that using a modified app like that can seriously compromise your privacy online. A hacker can put a monitoring line in the coded of the app allowing him to have access to our data and in the long run Google gets blamed for it. They are not against modding of the Andriod OS itself but the applications in it, Microsoft on the other hand would not let you even see the underlying code of it’s OS talkless of evening modifing it
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September 29th, 2009 at 7:43 pm Browsing with
Martinkem,
The C&D order from Google had nothing to do with the guy modifying their apps. He simply included them in the modded OS. It was the OS that he modded, not the app. I know its a thin line, but…
Also, you said:
But, the WinMo OS has been modded to death for years. As a matter of fact, I am using a modded version of WinMo 6.1 + TouchFlo on my Xperia X1 right now. There must be a logical explanation for this. Can you help out?
Cheers.
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