A screenshot from the CyanogenMod installation.
The Story
CyanogenM0d, a modified version of the Android operating system, received a cease and desist notice from Google. The issue that Google has levied is that CyanogenMod’s developer is not just rewriting the open source bits of Android, but some of the closed bits, too. This means the Gmail and Gtalk applications, among others.
Just Because You Can…
So to start, this is well within Google’s rights. Though a lot of Android can be rewritten, some of it is proprietary and closed. If HTC had rewritten Gmail and included it with the MyTouch 3G or some other handset, Google would be sending them a cease and desist. Sadly, it’s a much smaller entity who’s being affected by what is a pretty standard legal concept in the technology world. If it’s closed source, you can’t redistribute it.
…Doesn’t Mean You Should
All of that said, Google is being sort of stupid as this stifles the development community that is building around Android. While CyanogenMod is definitely more of a thing for the hardcore than for the masses, it is still a sign that the Android platform is a very healthy one. Unlike the iPhone, Android encourages open development. You can install applications that aren’t in the Android Market Place. Additionally, Google is not constantly trying to disable features which the Android community has enabled.
But this cease and desist is sort of an about-face on previous policy. My real concern is not that Google isn’t allowing people to distribute modified versions of its proprietary code, but that it chose to issue a cease and desist instead of talking to the developer first. A proper, much more community and PR-friendly response would have been to email the developer and make him aware of the issue without telling him to stop developing. After all, without enthusiastic developers, any platform becomes worthless.
