Let me summarize that from a different point of view:<p>1. Google released all of the Android Operating System as open source. Everyone is welcome to modify and redistribute it.<p>2. There are some Google-developed applications that are closely tied to Google services. While these applications are freely available from the Android Market, they are proprietary, non-opensource, Google branded applications. Some of these applications come bundled with some Android-enabled phones (most notably, the G1) but they are not part of the Android system.<p>3. Some guy who made an (otherwise very good quality) modified Android distribution also distributed these proprietary apps with his distribution without having a permission to do that from Google.<p>4. I believe that companies have the right to protect their brands. Clearly Google wouldn't want its brand associated with anything not under its control.
Some (a lot?) of the Google guys working on Android definitely <i>get</i> open source, but also have to contend with the realities of working at a Big Company. That's my impression at least. Reading the article highlights how some of them really want to help the community out - and are being allowed to.
It seems that the solution will be to develop a means of modding the system while leaving proprietary apps & drivers intact: <a href="http://groups.google.com/group/android-platform/browse_thread/thread/cfd4181d56c05a7a" rel="nofollow">http://groups.google.com/group/android-platform/browse_threa...</a><p>Kudos to the Android engineers for working around the lawyers on this one.