Posted on Friday, November 16 2012 @ 14:41 CET by Thomas De Maesschalck
Google has implemented a new Android SDK policy that specifically forbids Android app developers from taking any action that could contribute to further fragmentation of the Android ecosystem. CNET
reports the new clause is the first major update since the 2009 terms.
The company has modified its legal agreement with developers working on Android apps to specifically prohibit them from any action that could contribute to further fragmentation of the mobile platform. The anti-fragmentation clause was recently added to the Android SDK licensing terms and conditions, which developers must accept in order to build Android apps.
Section 3.4 of Google's new terms, which were updated Tuesday, reads, "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."
According to Google's
Android userbase statistics, well over half of Android devices still run Android 2.3.x "Gingerbread", while only 28.5 percent use Android 4.0 or higher.
