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Google didn't write all of Android, there are GPL components. They didn't have the choice to keep it closed source, all of it anyway. And secondly, they're not
by pertymcpert 8y ago
Google didn't write all of Android, there are GPL components. They didn't have the choice to keep it closed source, all of it anyway.
And secondly, they're not being punished for having an open source operating system. They're being punished for forcing manufacturers to install their suite of software (simplified). It's not because they open sourced Android. I repeat, it's NOT BECAUSE THEY OPEN SOURCED ANDROID.
- VikingCoder 8y agoGoogle could absolutely close-source enough of Android to make it essentially closed. As I posted elsewhere: Couldn't Google have had Samsung OEM phones? With co-branding? And all of the profits going to Samsung? This would merely be a different way to structure access to Android, right? Android is closed source, but literally everything else is the same... Except now it's not "anti-competitive," because the phone manufacturers are not "competitors" to Google.
- kilotaras 8y ago> Couldn't Google have had Samsung OEM phones? If 1. Android still reached 80% of market 2. Terms of OEM prohibited Samsung from making phones with another OS That would be the same anticompetitive violation
- VikingCoder 8y agoThe terms wouldn't prohibit Samsung from making phones with another OS. The terms would say that Samsung installs the version of Android 2 (the new and closed source one) that Google tells it to. As manufacturing partners are always told what to do.