[josefx]

And distribute the modified OS to all your customers how exactly? You could probably sell your own android based phone as long as you find a single manufacturer that isn't part of Googles OpenHandset alliance or bound by the Play Store license to only sell Google approved Android. Alternatively you could limit yourself to India and China where Google cannot enforce these terms. There really isn't any point in pretending that Android is an open OS in the west. It is Googles proprietary stack or nothing.