[asfasgasg]

I don't really understand the argument here. Google once provided more OSS with Android, so they are obligated to do so forever? That's not really how OSS works. If you decide you don't want to give away quite as much of your code for free, that might be unfortunate (depending on your perspective), but it's not wrong.

A more correct formulation of the title would be "Google's Totally Normal Grip on Google Apps: How Google Decided It Was in Their Best Interest To Give Away A Lot But Not Quite As Much As Before Free Value."

[shakna]

> While Android remains free for anyone to use as they would like, only Android compatible devices benefit from the full Android ecosystem. By joining the Open Handset Alliance, each member contributes to and builds one Android platform—not a bunch of incompatible versions.

If you use an Android fork, as enabled and allowed by Open Source, you aren't allowed to use Google anything anymore. That's the deal.

[notatoad]

>If you use an Android fork

Specifically, if you use an android form that doesn't pass the compatibility test suite. There is no vendor that distributes stock android, not even google. Every OEM maintains a fork from the base android distributed by the android open source project.

The thing you aren't allowed to do is fork android in a way that prevents users from installing android apps.

[oh_sigh]

Someone said:

> What you describe is kind of bait and switch. Sure, Google is absolute legal here, doesn’t mean however that is ethically in the right.

If you provide something initially as open source, are you ethically bound to provide future versions of that thing as open source for all of eternity?