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Google announced changes to the licensing model of its Android mobile operating system in Europe, including the introduction of a license fee for certain applications of its own brand, stating that it would do so to comply with a significant European antitrust decision this summer.
In July, the region's antitrust regulators imposed a $ 5 billion record fine on Google for violating Android legislation. had abused the dominance of the platform by forcing manufacturers to pre-install other Google applications in order to license its popular Play App Store.
The regulators also found that Google made payments to manufacturers and mobile network operators in exchange for exclusive pre-installation of Google search on their devices, and used a Play Store license to prevent manufacturers from selling devices based on Android. forks.
Google challenges the Commission's findings and filed its appeal last week – a legal process that may take years. But in the meantime, it changes Android licenses in Europe to avoid the risk of additional penalties in addition to the antitrust fine.
Hiroshi Lockheimer, Senior Vice President of Platforms and Ecosystems at Google, unveiled the new licensing options in a blog post published today.
As part of the updated "compatibility agreements", he writes that mobile device manufacturers will be able to build and sell Android devices intended for the European Economic Area (EEA) with and without preloaded Google mobile apps – something that the same Google "compatibility" contracts were limiting to before, while it was strictly one or the other (either you've created Android forks, either created Android devices with Google apps – not both.
"In the future, Android partners wanting to distribute Google apps could also build smartphones and tablets that are not compatible or ready for the European Economic Area (EEA)," Lockheimer says.
However, the company is also changing the way it licenses all the full Android bundle – which previously forced OEMs to charge devices with Google's mobile app suite, Google Search and Chrome browser in order to to be able to offer the popular Play Store – by introducing fees from OEMs wishing to pre-charge a subset of these same applications as part of a "new fee-based licensing agreement for smartphones and tablets delivered in the US. ; EEA ".
Although Google points out that there will be no charge to use the Android platform itself. (Thus, a simple fork without any preloaded Google service would still not require any fees.)
Google also seems to separate Google Search and Chrome from the rest of Google's apps in its mobile suite (which traditionally means things like YouTube, the Play Store, Gmail, Google Maps), though Lockheimer's blog does not specify exactly which applications it talks about) – let OEMs selectively unbundle some Google apps, although potentially paying, depending on the apps in question.
"[D]All manufacturers will be able to license Google's mobile app suite separately from the Google search app or the Chrome browser, "writes Lockheimer without illumination.
Perhaps Google wants the future unbundled Android ranges to still be able to use Google Search or Chrome, even if they do not have the Play Store, but the Google app configuration that will be allowed under the new license terms will not work. is not clear, and who will not do it.
"Since the pre-installation of Google Search and Chrome as well as our other applications have allowed us to finance the development and free distribution of Android, we will introduce a new fee-based license agreement for smartphones and smartphones. tablets delivered in the EEA. Android will remain free and open source, "adds Lockheimer, without specifying the amount of fees.
"We will also be offering new business deals to our partners for the non-exclusive pre-installation and placement of Google Search and Chrome. As before, competing applications could be preinstalled alongside ours, "he continues to complete his trio of mis-explained license changes.
We asked Google to clarify the different configurations of authorized and unauthorized applications, as well as applications requiring fees (and those that will not be), as well as the amount of fees. We will update this article with any response.
The devil in all these details should however soon appear, because Google indicates that the new license options will come into effect on October 29 for all new smartphones and tablets (based on Android) launched in the EEA.
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