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Leak reveals Google's Android Mobile Application Distribution Agreement

posted by Peter K. / Feb 13, 2014, 9:58 AM

Leak reveals Google's Android Mobile Application Distribution Agreement

Google's MADA (Mobile Application Distribution Agreement) document, which has never been publicly disclosed before, leaked earlier today. It contains information about the relationship between Google and OEMs, which use both the Android mobile platform and Google's services on their mobile devices.

Android is an open-source OS, but in order to make use of Google's services, manufacturers have to sign the restrictive MADA license. According to the disclosed documents, the MADA license states that OEMs can't use only a single one of Google's services, such as Google Play Store, YouTube, or Google Maps – manufacturers have to “preload all Google Applications approved in the applicable Territory on each device”. Furthermore, El Goog requires that these mobile apps become the default ones on the device.

The leaks also suggest that the tech giant might determine the physical location of the icons of these services: "Google Phone-top Search and the Android Market Client icon must be placed at least on the panel immediately adjacent to the Default Home Screen; (3) all other Google Applications will be placed no more than one level below the Phone Top; and (4) Google Phone-top Search must be set as the default search provider for all Web search access points on the Device".

The MADA document leaks a little before the European Commision's investigation of Google's practices ends. According to some, the EC might focus its further investigations to the Android platform and any unfair actions that the search giant might have taken.

source: Benedelman via WMPoweruser

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11 Comments

1. a_merryman

Posts: 749; Member since: Dec 14, 2011

I don't see how it is wrong, you have other options on the market with windows phone and apple...who lock you in more. With android devices you can install the amazon app store or other on it, and set different apps to be your go-to. If yahoo or some other corporation wanted to, they could even create a forked version of Android like Amazon did.

posted on Feb 13, 2014, 10:19 AM 4

2. networkdood

Posts: 6330; Member since: Mar 31, 2010

lol, so even if Google changed their policy and companies could pick and choose which app to preload into their phone, when the customer got the phone they could simply download the app from the playstore, or grab the apk from a website - whoop-dee-doo

posted on Feb 13, 2014, 10:20 AM 0

3. poikilo

Posts: 49; Member since: Jun 07, 2012

That doesn't seem unfair at all. And I don't see OEM's complaining.

posted on Feb 13, 2014, 10:21 AM 5

4. arenanew

Posts: 286; Member since: Dec 30, 2013

google is advertising agency or software company biggest nonsense company i every who only make copy of other and work for money money and lose case . i think google have have full of ameture people .

posted on Feb 13, 2014, 11:06 AM 1

6. Reality_Check

Posts: 277; Member since: Aug 15, 2013

We all can see who's "amateur and/or immature."

posted on Feb 13, 2014, 12:21 PM 2

5. zennacko unregistered

That's all Europe needed to sue Google on the billions with their "antitrust" policies. They did that to Microsoft for much less than these practices

posted on Feb 13, 2014, 11:34 AM 1

7. TidusWulf unregistered

Google doesn't FORCE OEMs to put Google apps on Android. All the agreement is saying if "If you want the Google Play store, THEN you need to take the whole google app suite." The google play store is the key, and every OEM knows that if they don't have put play store access on their devices, no one will buy the phone. Yes, Amazon app store is an option, but if a user is going to a new device, android to android, they already have a library of paid apps, and going to a phone with the Amazon app store only, means everything they bought on the google play store has to be repurchased. makes for some really unhappy customers.

posted on Feb 13, 2014, 2:16 PM 2

8. rusticguy

Posts: 2828; Member since: Aug 11, 2012

Will this really work in EU ... does anyone remeber how M$ was forced to remove IE as default browser?

posted on Feb 13, 2014, 4:07 PM 0

9. tedkord

Posts: 17464; Member since: Jun 17, 2009

OEMs don't have to use Google Apps. And if they choose to, the user still can easily pick their own default apps.

posted on Feb 13, 2014, 9:33 PM 0

10. jroc74

Posts: 6023; Member since: Dec 30, 2010

To be fair....it was easy to use other browsers when they investigated MS about Internet Explorer. I think Google is gonna lose this like MS did. I cant remember now...but did using another browser back then still have ties to IE or once another was the default browser for web use, everything was filtered thru the other browser?

posted on Feb 13, 2014, 11:52 PM 0

11. zennacko unregistered

Ever since XP you could choose the default browser, and after that every page or web page file such as .htm(l) would open on that browser. the ONLY exception was (IDK if it still is) windows update that obligated the user to open it through IE (if your update software didn't work) but then there are many pages today that force you to open them on specific browsers...