HTC threatens handset hackers with legal action

ongoingissues · Jun 17, 2010

MobileCrunch are reporting that HTC threatens handset hackers with legal action for distributing ROMs.

http://ongoingissues.wordpress.com/2010/06/17/htc-threatens-handset-hackers-with-legal-action/

LBTaylor1984 · Jun 18, 2010

maybe we, the community should build a list of user, a signature of opposing people to the closure of the site. stating that the use of the ROMs is for the purpose of cooking our own ROMs and increase the usability, performance, and desirability of the HTC handsets.

Maybe HTC need to be made aware of how much their customer base relys on ROMs for development of the HTC Handsets, and possibly go as far as to list who wouldn't buy a handset without access to other ROMs.

If Froyo doesn't come to the Desire, I WILL be installing a modified ROM regardless of HTCs feelings, and if this becomes impossible, I WILL be changing to a different brand and boycott HTC from then on. I feel very strongly about the users right to modify their phone in any way they see fit.

Dies · Jun 18, 2010

I dont even use the roms but i appreciate the work and effort put into them on the chance that i might use them. I also love HTC hardware because of the huge communities developed and bought my Touch Pro 2 based on the outside support that exists and if it were to get taken down by HTC i would second guess my next purchase of a Touch Pro 3 (i know it doesnt exist but something along the lines).

And as far as recommendations of hardware this site alone has swayed alot of coworkers into buying HTC hardware knowing they can tweak there purchase if the need arises.

ephestione · Jun 18, 2010

As a matter of fact, I am now using the HTC support contact form to tell them how wrong they are in promoting this action.
The main reason because of which I didn't buy a iloserphone but chose a WM device is that I can play with it as much as I want.
In that letter it also specifically says "...or of all infringing works derived from the Intellectual Property", which means basically CUSTOM roms, the ones we're all using.
First comes shipped-roms.com, then will be the turn of XDA which hosts links to said custom roms and/or stock roms, same goes for htcpedia and everything else.
If they want to shut themselves down by making their users hate their devices, their choice, but probably we ought to let them know they're just being stupid.

Here's the message I sent them via their website, I encourage you to write them in the big numbers.

Hi.
I am the happy owner of a HD2, and I really am satisfied this device. One of the reasons I am satisfied is because of its hardware specs, the other maybe more important one is that I can actually change the way it works to perfectly suit my needs. Otherwise, I could very well dump it for an iphone.

Now, I know that the person reading this message will be a support employee, and by no means anyone who actually makes the decisions, yet I stringly encourage you to forward this mail to the upper levels.

I just learned that HTC sent a C&D letter to shipped-roms.com.
I know the legal mumbo-jumbo HTC is all about on that decision and I don't need any of that.
I also know another thing: excluding the people who buy your devices just because they were bundled with some dataplan by some carrier, and have no clue how to really use them other than as simple phones, there is a LARGE part of people, including myself, who buy your devices because they like the way they can be customized and how they can be made so much more powerful than what they came out of the store.
If you start acting against websites that allow us "power users" to get the most out of our phones, then it's like you're acting against your customers, and that is a very silly thing.
I can easily see how this kind of action could be taken further, against other leading community websites dedicated to your devices.
If and when you will do that, you will repay the dedication of your customers with legal threats, and you will instantly lose the interest in your products by the same people that now love them for the reasons I explained in this letter.

Please think carefully about it.

forelli · Jun 18, 2010

ephestione said:
As a matter of fact, I am now using the HTC support contact form to tell them how wrong they are in promoting this action...

Thanks! I'm doing the same right now. Apple is not a loser in the game, they dont shut down websites of so-called "hackers" who tweak, crack and write programs which jailbreak their iPhone, and they could just do it, they have plenty of reason to do it BUT only one NOT to do it: $!
I told you, Apple is not so stupid... unlike HTC who shoots itself in the head!(hoping the damages will be soft?) Really silly...

Edit: here's mine:

It recently came to my knowledge that HTC sent a C&D letter to the website shipped-roms.com and if this is true, and you are serious about it, please do re-consider your decision. As a proud owner of an UNBRANDED HTC HD2, HTC BLACKSTONE AND HTC DIAMOND 2, I am asking you to not bother the core of your business: without the shipped roms and the subsequent custom roms from it, I, just like hundreds of thousands of HTC owners around the world (just look at the membership of various forums offering custom roms), would not have bought an HTC device. Why we did buy it was the possibility to modify it to fit our needs, this includes by the means of custom roms too, but not only. If you take this from us, you're left with the "carriers dependant" customers who are, by far, the minority of your customers. If you're serious in taking down websites that make us buy your devices, you will have to face the consequences because without shipped rom, we will just jump ship! As you already know, the competition is tough so you better think this legal action twice if you don't want the value of your shares to melt like snow at the beginning of spring.

Johev · Jun 18, 2010

I have no words about what HTC is doing. I totally agree with ephestione, and if xda-developers did not exist (or any other similar forum), I would not have an WM Smartphone, as the stock ROMs are normally slow, many times out dated, and not suited for my needs.

I hope that HTC understands that sites like these are the BEST PUBLICITY that they can get fro their devices. You have people working for FREE to make the device better, what else can they ask for?

Instead of promoting, cooperating with the main chefs, and using it to their advantage, they prefer to drag them to the court, and shut them down!!!!

They already void your guarantee when you flash a custom ROM, so I can't see how initiatives like this can cost them more money.

I hope they realize that soon, and save their faces by gracefully changing their position.

I do not say, approve, but at least look the other way

I hope more people will join this cause.

frogfire · Jun 18, 2010

Android is opensource so remove all htc apps in ROM and host htc apps @ mediafire

I Support you if its possible. How about a open letter to htc in Taiwan? I can write a letter as PDF and share it here.

derliebewolf · Jun 18, 2010

Maybe we should download all of those ROMS an reupload the on a sharehoster only to start a thread with the collection of links over here? Or Maybe a thread in every Device-specific forum?

Thoughts? Want to participate?

imaginarynumber · Jun 18, 2010

How dumb are HTC?

It is the ability to use cooked roms that has helped me tolerate the flaws in WM over the years.

Without the offending roms I would have stopped buying HTC phones years ago. IMHO they should be encouraging the chefs.

They've gone all APPLE!!!

If they persist with this I might as well buy an i-prat and just jailbreak it.

Although slightly off topic I see the WM7 wont allow Sense etc, will HTC still be on their hobby horse. (from what I have read elsewhere it was people messing with sense that p1$$ed them off).

Dino Crisis · Jun 18, 2010

Can some one Post the E-Mail Address /Contact to take my part (and hopefully others) in this ridicules process?

I want to tell them how stupid that is...

Maybe I should switch over to IPhone... if you can't customize it at least works better out of the box!

acky85 · Jun 18, 2010

Dino Crisis said:
Can some one Post the E-Mail Address /Contact to take my part (and hopefully others) in this ridicules process?

I want to tell them how stupid that is...

Maybe I should switch over to IPhone... if you can't customize it at least works better out of the box!

http://www.htc.com/www/CS_Mail.aspx

Germany Deutsch +49-692-222-7334

Mon - Sat 09:00 - 18:00 (Mon - Fri) 09:00 - 13:00 (Sat)

frogfire · Jun 18, 2010

upload all ROM's to multiupload.com

but my upload speed sucks

imaginarynumber · Jun 18, 2010

acky85 said:
http://www.htc.com/www/CS_Mail.aspx

Germany Deutsch +49-692-222-7334

Mon - Sat 09:00 - 18:00 (Mon - Fri) 09:00 - 13:00 (Sat)

Thanks

Have sent email....

frogfire · Jun 18, 2010

what do you send? can i use ur text? My english sucks

Franky24 · Jun 18, 2010

another site where I posted a modified version of ephestiones letter (thanks for that!) is http://www.htc.com/www/about_htc_bymail.aspx
EMail addresses I found are
csat@htc.com
Contactus@htc.com
htceuropesupport@htc.com

HTH, Franky

steve4bass · Jun 18, 2010

No cooks, no buy

I wouldn't have bought my HTC Rhodium if there weren't custom ROMs available for it. None of the stock HTC ROMs are any good compared to custom ROMs. HTC should thank the chefs for taking their half finished ROMs and making them usable, because it's the chefs who are helping HTC to sell more phones.

002596 · Jun 18, 2010

That's one hell of a shot in the foot you've got there...

[RANT] This has to be without doubt one of the daftest actions HTC have ever taken against anyone...

"Hello loyal customers....... We'd like you to go to jail please!

"

I heartly agree with everyone on here so far, the main reason I bought my HD2 was because of the custom ROMs on here. (Infact it got reflashed before I even put the SIM in!

)

I steer clear of everything Apple because I like to be able to customise what I want, how I want. If HTC are getting all edgy because they're promoting diversity, then they should jump in the iBandwagon and I'll go back to using my Nokia.

I can say with 100% truth, if it wasn't for XDA-Dev's I wouldn't have had 6 HTC's by now. [/RANT]

mooves · Jun 18, 2010

Dear HTC, as a legal and loyal owner of multiple HTC devices (Vodafone magic x2, Telstra desire, Telstra hd2 and Vodafone legend) I am entitled to download any updates for these devices. As such I would like shipped-roms.com to maintain my copy for safe keeping. Seeing as you do not maintain a public copy of historical roms for unsupported devices I believe this is a suitable compromise. Also this way there is no cost to your company.

If wish to continue on this misguided attack I will dispose of these devices, buy a competitors product and never buy or recommend your product to anyone.

Yours Sincerely,

JJ

magius · Jun 18, 2010

They have a forum too

HTC's official site has a forum too.

http://community.htc.com/na/htc-forums/f/87.aspx

Check the forum before posting, make sure you pick the right place for your country or maybe we can all post in the same forum. Also, if we do let's just keep a single thread over at their forums. No sense in flooding them, that will just get the threads deleted.

I hope HTC has more sense(pun intended) than to lose distinction between piracy and a huge group of fans that can only benefit them.

I am on my 5th WM HTC device and it is basically because of you guys that I have kept on going with them. I can't imagine having all this fun tweaking, prodding, and modifying any other phones.

lostsoul3471 · Jun 18, 2010

Android should be safe... but...

This really does suck. From my understanding and previous history with scrappy unsupported phones from other OEMs, even if I did stick to WM, I would have gone out of my way to get an HTC phone, because of this site and the work that gets done here.

Fortunately, I went with a Nexus One running android so aside from the appropriated Desire keyboard, there really isn't anything that's HTC specific app wise. Also tack on the fact that Android is covered by GPL if I'm not mistaken so that should shield at least the Android development hacks. But who knows really. It could also be a licensing issue with WM specifically that may have triggered this. WM licensing is something truly weird as none of it is really visible to the end user and is usually agreed upon between OEM and carrier.

I just hope this doesn't spread to here. XDA is the central hub of making smartphones actually smart.

HTC threatens handset hackers with legal action

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