Google Targets Android Fragmentation With Updated Terms For SDK

SternisheFan writes "Google has expanded its legal agreement with developers working on Android applications to specifically prohibit them from taking any action that could lead to a fragmentation of the operating system. The prohibition was added to the terms and conditions for Google's Android SDK (software development kit), which developers must accept before using the software to build Android apps. The previous version of the terms of service, published in April 2009, didn't address the issue, but the new terms published on Tuesday include this new paragraph: 'You agree that you will not take any actions that may cause or result in the fragmentation of Android, including but not limited to distributing, participating in the creation of, or promoting in any way a software development kit derived from the SDK.' Google did not respond to several requests for comment. The issue of Android fragmentation has been gaining increased attention, but it's happened largely as a result of actions taken by Google and Android handset makers, not developers. It's a problem because it means that Android applications may not run properly across all Android devices. 'It continues to be a problem, both on smartphones and tablets,' said Avi Greengart, research director at Consumer Devices. 'Google has talked about multiple initiatives for dealing with it, but none of them have successfully addressed it.'"

Comments

Re:This is even worse than a walled garden

[AuMatar]

It doesn't prohibit things like Swype. If they wanted to kill Swype, they could do it in one blow- delete the InputMethodService class in the next version. Without it, no more 3rd party keyboards (source: I worked at Swype). As much as Google seemed to love making me jump through hoops to work around their code, I don't see them doing that anytime soon.

I dislike how vaguely this is worded, but it doesn't block libraries either. What it blocks is people making phone specific SDKs, or taking the SDK and making it compile Android app to non-Android devices. Its meant as a counter to some Chinese OEMs doing just that. The only thing I really see that it blocks that was good are things like the original x86 sdk/ndk that people used before Google finally moved from ARM only.

Re:So...

[thedarknite]

I would have thought that it was targeting OUYA from forking the SDK and bundling it within their console.