While the details are still unclear on what exactly happened with HTCRUU, a tweet from @JMZ_Software says that HTC’s legal division has told him to remove any Sense-based ROM from his hosting, as well.
If the HTC legal team is getting into the business of shutting down modified distributions of Sense, that pretty much would be the end of development for any non-AOSP based ROM, and it might not be too much longer before one found the AOSP community drying up due to lack of drivers or legal threats from decompiling or reverse-engineering proprietary code.
We’ve reached out to JMZ to clarify what’s going on, so we’ll keep you updated later on if we hear anything. Hopefully, it’s just a lawyer who was told to shut down the RUU distribution site for using HTC’s name in the domain name, and they’ve gotten a little over-zealous, perhaps not knowing that historically Sense has been an open channel for developers. Indeed, doing this is like hitting a beehive with a baseball bat.
I’m not quite ready to throw on my F*** HTC T-shirt and go riding about town yet, as I haven’t even heard one complete side of the story. However, it’s getting reminiscent of the beginnings of that whole CarrierIQ debacle, where as opposed to dealing with the issue, they sent in lawyers, who evidently didn’t know much about what was going on, to threaten a developer.
It should be interesting to see how this plays out, and hopefully I’ll hear back at least from JMZ about what is going on. I doubt my HTC connections will be of much help, though.
[Twitter]
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winmobile days all over again, funny how HTC helped start up OHA (Open handset alliance)
I’m done with HTC! I’ll be riding things out on the EVO LTE but after that, I’m heading over to Samsung or maybe LG!
I’ve lost all respect for HTC!!
This makes me happy lol
All I can do is laugh, and then buy a Galaxy S4 instead of the M7. F yeah capitalism!
You and me both
HTC has every right to protect their IP. Sense is an added layer to android that HTC has invested time and money to create. They are not bound by any license to release that code since it is their own. HTC does contribute code upstream to the OHA and AOSP but this has nothing to do with that.
As the author stated, we have not heard the complete story from either side. I understand some of you are fanboys of Mr. JMZ but please do your best to take an unbiased look at the issues at hand.
BTW, I recall jmz finding his ROMs on a site once and immediately took action by filing a DMCA with the site admin. Sounds similar to what HTC is doing here, but of course they have some legal representation to back them up if need be.
WOW!! You’ve reached a new low!!
Who trolls an article on pocketables?? OH that’s right!! HAHAHA idiots like you!!
Congrats on not having a life!!
That’s a little uncalled for. It appears that if anyone is trolling, it’s you. I understand the comment might not be your opinion but have some respect.
You clearly have no clue what you’re talking about BUT alright. HAHAHHAA
I don’t know much about the specifics of the JMZ site. I agree it’s within HTC’s legal right to ask others not to redistribute Sense. However, from a business standpoint it makes absolutely no sense. The people using Sense in ROMS are doing so for installation on HTC devices, not onto Samsung or LG devices. It only ADDS to the value of purchasing an HTC phone and does not seem to harm HTC – they void your warranty when you unlock the phone anyway. It’s not like HTC is losing a sale because I installed a cooked ROM with Sense onto my OneX – I already bought and paid for the thing.
So, what kind of idiot executive makes this kind of non-customer friendly decision. I just don’t understand why they have a problem with it, making it more difficult for their customers to enhance the experience with their product can’t be good for their business. Stupid is as Stupid does I guess.
You honestly don’t know what you are talking about. please stop before you make yourself appear even less intellectual. your alias should be sudo.
I agree, HTC is like any other company. They need to protect their IP, no matter how small the group using it. It’s unfortunate, but in the legal world, if they allow one group to use it, and someone else starts using it (that they don’t like), it becomes hard to legally restrict the second group.
I honestly don’t know why they would need to protect it, since many people still like to remove it. It doesn’t seem like anyone is trying to steal it
This just isn’t true. It would be trivial for HTC to grant a limited use license to ROM cookers enabling them to use Sense in ROMs built specifically for an HTC device. It would not mean that they give up all intellectual property rights.
Funny how people hide behind username HAHAHAHHAAHA
Who’s hiding what? I missed something I think… hard day.
While I respect a company protecting its IP, this borders on jerkishness. JMZ isn’t really making any financial gains on his ROMs, but he’s putting a hell of a lot of work into them, for free, for the benefit of the people that use them.
Is this a sign that HTC is going to start to waving C&D’s at anyone making ROMs from their Sense base? If that is true, then they have lost a customer. Frankly, I’ve been on the fence about getting another HTC device anyway. This would definitely be the last straw. Its a shame. HTC makes damned fine hardware.
Eh I was done before HTC before this lol. EVO 4G LTE is my last device with HTC. Unless they make a nexus
Oh HTC, how the mighty have fallen. I was rooting for you but you keep shooting yourself on the foot. Loving my Galaxy Note 2.
I bought the phone, I’ll do what I please with the software. im not breaking any law to modify it. it’s not like im selling it as my own thing. HTC pipe lines to AOSP? sorry thats bullshit.
Hey all, JMZ forwarded me a letter from the lawyer. I sort of get the feeling he was just told to shut down HTCRUU and is going a little further in the bullying aspect.
To exhausted Paul quickly reading the thing they had a problem with the HTC in the HTCRUU, perhaps the HTC logo. eh, not a biggie. Then goes on to say the ROMs pose a security risk, which is pretty much not in line with HTC’s standard / the HTCDev experience.
Really think this is an overzealous lawyer, but when you’ve got someone who has you dead to rights on a trademark infringement, don’t think there’s much you can argue out of.
Will look more into this tomorrow, I’ve been pretty much exhausted by two weeks cleaning at an abandoned hoarder’s apartment and bam…
Also, XDA is over there… so move the XDA drama back that way people
Jmz just tweeted to expect all his sites to shut do wn in the next 96 hours kind of sad… Boycott HTC!
If this is true than bye bye HTC…
Cant wait to see Samsung Galaxy S4 or Note III…
Doesn’t matter. The Roms will show up somewhere else until they are not needed.
Considering HTC’s track record, that will be pretty soon.
I really wish that HTC put this much effort in releasing their kernel source code in a timely fashion and staying GPL compiant than angering their most loyal and dedicated fans.
Might just be the htc in the site name but if not, it’s probably that they believe that getting rid of custom sense roms that people will choose to upgrade the entire phone instead of just the firmware. Like instead of installing One S version of sense and features into a Sensation go out and buy the One S. If they do ban Sense roms, they’re gonna lose a lot of the developing community and lose a lot of sales.
Personally, i’m giving up on HTC and going to Sony simply because i like the specs and waterproofing will come in handy for me.
Had good times with my G1, my MyTouch(s), and my sensation which has survied for an extremely long time for me.