HTC Orders ROM Hackers to Cease and Desist
One of the more dedicated communities of Android users is the ROM developers, who often have phones rooted and running new software hacks even before the phones hit the streets (or shortly after). It has always been a part of Android and always will be as individuals strive to improve the overall functionality of what Google has given them. But now HTC has it in for at least one community of modders led by Coinflipper, a software hacker who has been getting around quite a bit lately.
Shipped-Roms hosts modified ROMs for almost all of HTC’s most popular handsets, including the brand-new HTC Aria. Their ROM collection expends well outside of just HTC’s Androids, too, and perhaps this is why they were just hit with a big old Cease and Desist from the handset manufacturer.
The big complain is that Coinflipper and crew are illegaly copying HTC’s “original art work.” Whether they simply mean the design of the GUI or the entire body of code as art isn’t quite clear, but things aren’t looking too good for the continuation of the site.
Of course taking down a site is one thing, but stopping the whole group of developers and hackers who tirelessly work away at rooting and modding is another thing entirely. Good luck with that, HTC.
[via MobileCrunch]