Google hits Android ROM modder with a cease-and-desist letter

So this is interesting: apparently Google's hit the developer of the Cyanogen modded Android ROM with a cease-and-desist letter, asking him to stop distributing the closed-source Google apps like Gmail, Maps, and YouTube. What's a little strange is that Cyanogen is targeted at "Google Experience" devices like the G1 and myTouch, so it's not like Google is really protecting anything here -- leading us to wonder if they're just using the copyright argument to shut down a popular mod that's tempted over 30,000 users into rooting their phones. That's just speculation on our part, though -- the dev says he's trying to open a dialogue with Google, so perhaps we'll find out some more answers soon.

[Via Android and Me]

[DarthPaul Posted Sep 25th 2009 2:31AM]

is the app store closed source?
If not, he could just distribute it without the other apps & people can choose which apps they use for the rest (like what Microsoft have to do now)

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 25th 2009 2:47AM]

My G1 is actually USABLE now thanks to Cyanogen mode and all the tweaks people release.. I think the real problem, is Google says things are not possible on the g1 like running android 1.6. Which I do. Google should just hire this guy who actually fixes all of GOOGLES issues.
Google "lets do evil" sure has changed as a company...

[whisperinyourEar Posted Sep 30th 2009 2:33AM]

maemo 5 is looking better and better

[Hydra Posted Sep 25th 2009 3:20AM]

Does this mean any other company other than HTC won't have gmail and youtube apps for android?

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 25th 2009 4:03AM]

The market app is (I think) the big one that they are complaining about because he has distributed the new version of it with his "Experimental" releases. So no the market is not open source that would be the closed source app that Google is complaining about, not the other app such as GMail, Google Maps, and what ever other app that they say is closed source. All they cared about was the Market app.

[kLyon Posted Sep 25th 2009 4:24AM]

If it's the market app they're complaining about, lose it. Who cares? The old one worked just fine. Any line drawn in the sand should definitely be drawn on the other side of that puppy.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 25th 2009 4:29AM]

Yes this would be what I think Google is after. I say this because Google has yet to complain about any other CyanogenMod until now. The big thing that changed app wise was the Market. If you read everything then you will probably see where I am coming from. Yes?

[GGG Posted Sep 25th 2009 4:30AM]

so much for the openness...

[bdav Posted Sep 25th 2009 5:32AM]

Google - If this guys ROMs are so popular (read: Great improvement over stock FW), just employ him already? It has to be easier.

[Demios Posted Sep 25th 2009 5:36AM]

My G1 is starting to look a lot like an iphone...

[Rob Bourne Posted Sep 25th 2009 6:12AM]

This sucks. Cyanogen has awesomised my G1 no end, even on the latest experimental build with which I've had no problems.

It's shitloads faster, haven't yet come across a force-close, the battery life is so much better than before and it also fully charges in no time too!

Google, stop being so anal and maybe perhaps take a look at what this guy is doing for your platform. It's a hell of a lot more than what you're doing for it.

[Nomi Posted Sep 25th 2009 6:38AM]

Is the site down now?

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 25th 2009 6:50AM]

This is so damn stupid. The developer known as "Cyanogen" has given more support to the community than all single customer agents at Google and T-Mobile together. His work is the reason why I'm happy with my G1 and won't switch soon to the Palm Pre. So keep his work alive...

[MrLinux Posted Sep 25th 2009 7:55AM]

Im an open source fan but I have to agree, the guy is distributing someone else's product and "brand" without asking. No major brand would put up with that crap so why should google allow someone to dilute their brand. The rom developer can still distribute the android code without Googles brand or proprietary apps and "develop his own brand" instead of using someone else's.

[Dignan17 Posted Sep 25th 2009 9:00AM]

This is so disappointing. The Cyanogen mod is the only thing that saved my user experience on the G1. Here's a tip for Google: if they hadn't chosen the worst hardware available for the first outing of their OS, I would never have gone out and rooted my phone. I could care less about the additional features it gives me (haven't even used tethering yet), I just want a functioning phone! After a few months with cupcake (which helped somewhat but not enough), I was just fed up. The Cyanogen mod was this phone's salvation.

Oh, and if Google seriously wants to discontinue support for G1's in the future, Cyanogen might be our only savior. It sounds like Google is seriously saying that only a year after the phone's release, there's a possibility that firmware upgrades will cease.

Ugh, I'm a huge Google fan, but this pisses me off.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 25th 2009 9:15AM]

So here is a question... Is google saying that once the next Android version is officially released we would not have a legitimate way to upgrade to the newest version with a rooted phone?

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 25th 2009 9:41AM]

I really hope that Cyanogen can actually open that dialogue with Google, maybe get hired, and have his work rolled into the next major release of Android. I am hesitant to root my phone, but from what everyone says, this guy's ROM is amazing and really speeds things up, etc. Why not put this guy on the payroll? It would probably launch Android into an unstoppable force, much like Google's original product(the search engine of the same name) did for the world of web search. They can be the standard by which everyone else measures their OS. Honestly, if this guy is so good, and his ROM rules so much, Google should be taking steps to work WITH him, not against him.

[theRise Posted Sep 25th 2009 10:02AM]

if they released updates and improvements as often as he did, then we wouldnt need this. i downloaded it to use the new app store. the old one is a piece of sh*t.

[Sone Posted Sep 25th 2009 10:17AM]

I can't call Google evil. They have provided so many great tools that I use for FREE. I will be honest and say that I did purchase a mt3g so I can tweak it and I do love the great work done by Cyanogen. I won't get rid of the phone because of this but it will not be the same enjoyment. That's like playing the 360 without xbox live. They go hand in hand.

[zole2112 Posted Sep 25th 2009 10:20AM]

Very disappointing Google, I had hoped you would be different, I really didn't believe you would be different but I had hope for a while but no more. I have 2 G1's with modded roms, I wouldn't have bought the second one if I had to run stock Android. I was looking at my next phone to be Android but I'm no so convinced anymore, Winmo 6.5, 7.0 now a possibility.

[zole2112 Posted Sep 25th 2009 10:23AM]

Oh, forgot to mention the app store...the current app store is an embarassment, it has the worst search functionality I have ever seen, hard to believe it came from Google.

[Wes Steele Posted Sep 25th 2009 11:22AM]

His current iteration of his ROMs is great. I will be fine with this if he can no longer make progress.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 25th 2009 11:27AM]

What is really sad is that the cyanogen ROMs were consistently so much better than stock. My wife's G1 is still stock, and she is now begging me to flash CM 4.x on her phone because it runs like hell in comparison with mine. Oh yeah--she's also out of space on her phone, because apps to SD is for rooted phones only. Sigh.

[TheChaosEngine Posted Sep 25th 2009 11:44AM]

Forget a petition! I'm going straight to the source...

If anyone needs me you can find me at google.com typing all kinds of hateful words right into the search box. Straight at ya google!

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 25th 2009 12:14PM]

Too many people jumping to conclusions on this before we know anything of substance.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 25th 2009 1:33PM]

Time to be serious guys. Cyanogen and Google are secret lovers, This is all an elaborate plan to increase downloads of Cyanogen's Rom! Free publicity!

Well, we can dream anyways.

On a more serious note, I've been using cyanogen's Rom since about a week after i got my Mytouch 3g, very soon afterwards he implemented BFS and somehow my phone grew a warp drive. Co-workers who have g-1's and MT3G have all had me flash their phones to Cyanogens rom for the speed increase. (and the new market and HQ youtube). My girlfriend just ordered a MT3G from tmobile, she wanted the Touch Pro 2 for the full keyboard but she loves my phone and i convinced her. If something doesn't change i'll make sure the MT3G is returned and fork over the extra dough for a TP2

[markca Posted Sep 25th 2009 2:23PM]

Google should be working WITH the open source community to help make the official releases the best they can be -- not against them.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 25th 2009 2:47PM]

This Mod is the only reason I keep this phone...otherwise i would have already trashed this phone and gotten something else....Google better Hire this dude

[dalto12593 Posted Sep 25th 2009 4:16PM]

Looks like the Sprint Hero may become crippled after all, ha, after I thought it was going to be the perfect phone on the right network. Too good to be true.

[Rodney Posted Sep 25th 2009 5:10PM]

i have owned my g1 since last december. I waited to buy it until you were able to root it and i seen the community. Since then i have been preaching to friends and family about android. If google screws us out of cyanogen roms i say we get apple to let us send in our rooted android phones for an unlocked iphone.

Iphones can now send and receive mms, i am excited!

[Nicnac Posted Sep 25th 2009 6:05PM]

it took 2 entire posts until Apple was scolded. lame lame lame.

[Zoide Posted Sep 26th 2009 12:38AM]

Wow, Google, you fucked us over. We should do the same to you. Palm, WM, and the iPhone are looking more tempting than ever.

[Zoide Posted Sep 26th 2009 12:38AM]

Stupid little robot logo. He looked so friendly.

[guitarfreak846 Posted Sep 26th 2009 10:21AM]

I'm absolutely pissed at Google. Makes me want to drop my G1 and buy an iPhone or Pre. EFFING GAY!!!! CyanogenMOD made the G1 a million times faster and added LEGAL features that rocked. If Google were smart...they would hire Cyanogen.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 26th 2009 1:26PM]

If Google, HTC and T-Mobile could get their crap together good enough to provide updates on a timely basis, cool new functionality, crazy speed increases, and apps on SD to me then I wouldn't have a need to get another ROM. But they can't. So I can have my phone basically the way I bought it, slow, only room to install 5 or 6 apps, crappy on screen keyboard. Or I can choose my phone with no Gmail, Market, calendar, or maps. Hmm, some choice.

Google, either deliver or leave Modders alone. Android was touted as OPEN and every version of Android I've ever seen has gmail and market on it. You still get your money when a phone is sold, it shouldn't matter whether the end user puts a different ROM on it or not.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 26th 2009 4:36PM]

i thought google's whole "business model" for android was to get ppl to use their OS, meanwhile they would be watching and collecting advertising information and enabling other businesses to use that info (selling it) and also to advertise to mobile users

meanwhile, google would encourage ppl to join the android movement by making the overall android experience "better" by seeding it with their excellent supporting apps (gmail, maps, gtalk, search, etc) - and in that way get more traffic through their service (and consequently, making more MONEY)

but now, they come out and put a stick in the eye of the mod community that only *benifits* the google/android movement!


this ruins all that positive momentum - this seems to run counter to their interests - this is LESS incentive for ppl to be attracted to google, and buy their phones, and use their services

its just an all around lousy PR move


in fact, it reminds me of that phrase... "jump the shark" - once you do something stupid, there's no coming back



they're "right" from a legal standpoint, but they're shooting themselves in the foot in the long run - winning the battle, losing the war

boy, i bet google is happy they hired those lawyers now (pfft!)

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 29th 2009 12:51PM]

Cyanogen's ROM just make Android better, it let's users get an improved Android Experience, WTF is Google thinking? Boohoo our Gmail etc.. Android is awesome, but really they are so hell bent that they are the only guy... I mean the mail client is pretty crappy to say the least.. no saving attachments ??? REALLY so all my work mail has to route through Gmail to be useful??? BARF BARF, just nasty..