Interesting....Oh man, hope everything is alright.... This is ridic
Htc has rights to its trademark and its intellectual property.................
More than likely its just because of "htc" in the URL and a trigger happy lawyer
As are the drivers for things like 3D and WiMax 4G in Sense based ROM's, not to mention the Sense framework itself. Those are just as proprietary as the RUU.exe utility and re-distributing either of them is pretty much the same. None of that software is open source.ROMs and RUUs aren't they same thing............ RUUs use HTC's Software Installer and since HTC Doesn't provide it to the users themselves it could be considered piracy................
On that note RUUs are Proprietary to HTC not Android or Google
Should I start downloading ROMs left and right in case they take this to far?
As are the drivers for things like 3D and WiMax 4G in Sense based ROM's, not to mention the Sense framework itself. Those are just as proprietary as the RUU.exe utility and re-distributing either of them is pretty much the same. None of that software is open source.
If the rom.zip file is extracted from the RUU.exe is that not proprietary since it doesn't have the installer?
Just because the ROM is included with an HTC phone a user purchases doesn't authorize redistribution of that software. That's like saying if DVD's are sold to end users the content can be legally re-distributed.
Having said that, HTC devices will become a lot less popular on XDA and elsewhere if the ROM's and RUU's can't be used and modified by developers and end users.
ramjet73
But as a developer you are not selling the phone to a friend, you are taking the ROM (movie) and redistributing it to users with a different phone (DVD/Media player). It's true that in most cases the base ROM was included on a phone that runs a custom ROM, but that is not always the case when different versions are ported, like Sense 4.1 ROM's to the Evo 3D, or licensed software like beats is added to a ROM for a phone that didn't include that license.there is a risk to everything its just the amount of risk that changes ............... like the DVDs, Mass copying and re-selling the DVD is a huge risk while Selling the original DVD to a friend is little to no risk :smokingsomb:
But as a developer you are not selling the phone to a friend, you are taking the ROM (movie) and redistributing it to users with a different phone (DVD/Media player). It's true that in most cases the base ROM was included on a phone that runs a custom ROM, but that is not always the case when different versions are ported, like Sense 4.1 ROM's to the Evo 3D, or licensed software like beats is added to a ROM for a phone that didn't include that license.
I'm not trying to be judgmental, just pointing out that there's little difference between distributing an HTC Sense ROM and an HTC RUU, and they are legally both proprietary and the property of HTC.
ramjet73
I think you need to read through HTC demanding I take down RUUs and even my custom sense ROMs, which makes it pretty clear to me that HTC doesn't distinguish between distributing the RUU's and modified versions of their ROM's. In fact, given their argument that modified ROM's represent risks to their users (and of course cost to them when the users have problems) the RUU is actually less of an issue for them than custom ROM's since it is only used to restore a phone to it's stock firmware and software configuration.I agree and with that comes the risk............... In this case i think the installer itself is the issue (Since HTC usually turns a blind eye towards Rom Developement) using the HTC name and logo is also an issue but is probably what brought attention to it all............... Not very smart in the first place if you ask me
That is true for custom ROM's but not for RUU's as long as the files remain signed by HTC. I think HTC should make all the RUU's publicly available, especially since they are starting to encrypt them now. Some RUU's have already been available on the htcdev.com website to fix problems like not being able to use their unlock procedure after taking an OTA update on the Evo 3D.The ROMs pose a significant consumer protection issue for HTC, since it does not control the software and, if installed on users' devices, it could cause harm to the user.
HTC has identified a known issue that may be experienced by some users with a Sprint EVO 3D that shipped with version 2.08.651.2, even if it was updated to a newer software version via FOTA. When attempting to unlock, a blank screen appears on the device after step 12 in the instructions and the process does not complete. As a workaround for users who experience this issue, we suggest you upgrade the ROM to 2.17.651.5 first via OTA then download and install the RUU from the table below to fix the issue before attempting the unlock process. This issue will also be fixed in the ICS update scheduled for EVO 3D.
They aren't going to go after developers.
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