ROK throws lifeline to developers

What ROK has not announced (because for some reason it's not been reported) is that ROK Entertainment is actually currently in administration.

The company changed their name to Brenten Services Limited in December before bringing in Shipleys. The company number is 05120144 if you want to check it out for yourself. If you search Companies House for 'Brenten' you'll find a whole string of failed subsidiaries in administration. They're changing names before going under to avoid media attention and angry creditors.

This may not apply to the US ROK, but the fact that the share price has gone from a high of $28.00 to ten cents should raise a few alarm bells about that operation as well.

ROK's internal development team was actually laid off without pay in December as well (they were based in Wales - see here for this heartwarming Christmas story - http://preview.tinyurl.com/rok-fail-1) so this just smacks of a desperate attempt to get new ideas and hopefully some revenue - of which they don't have (they are not cash-flow positive, obviously!)

The point of this rant is to make some truths known to the public-at-large and especially the dev community - be very careful what sort of IP and ideas you might give them, because I would think it very unlikely you'll see any revenue. They have a proven history of not paying their bills (so many CCJs against them from suppliers it's not funny), so exercise EXTREME caution when dealing with them.

ROK Entertainment is a very shady, not-ethical-at-all organisation that deserves all the fail it achieves.

I can completely concur with the above post. As a one-time former developer for this organisation, I can confirm that they do NOT pay freelance staff in a timely manner and it is not just myself but others who are still to this day owed money from them. They have put many of their divisions into administration with little regard for staff, and have no strategy to speak of. Their offices are all closing down and I am surprised it is not all completely wound up now.

I would advise anyone reading this to be very wary of any promises made.

Go and learn Objective-C and write for the iPhone instead - there is much more promise there than this vapourware they are touting.

I agree with the two comments above. I worked in the London office (39-45 Shaftesbury Avenue) and was released before Xmas with no pay. A rubbish Xmas I have had as you can imagine (and still unemployed). Avoid any dealings with this business - the most unethical company who should be investigated. Avoid avoid avoid

Hidden in the depths of the members portion of their forum is the submission agreement that applies to anything you upload - and basically gives them rights to sell or license on anything uploaded in perpetuity with no mention of payment or anything like that.

Feels very dodgy - though would love to be proved wrong.

With these idiots, EVERYTHING is dodgy. I guarantee you will not be proven wrong. Do not participate in this venture!!

I've heard recently that ROK has pretty much downsized to a skeleton office staff - the "board of directors" and maybe one or two others, based now only out of Wolverhampton (as mentioned, London office closed, Wales office closed, etc). They can't afford SEC-grade accounting at the moment, which is why their shares were delisted from the OTC.

It's worth bearing in mind too that because of that de-listing (due to delinquency) you can only trade their shares on the Pink Sheets - where penny stocks go to die. So one should ask themselves where they expect ROK will generate the investment required to bring solid ideas to market.

Case in point: Jalipo - while maybe not the greatest concept in the world, it was probably a workable idea, but ROK didn't want to pay anyone to maintain it. Once all the Jalipo devs had gone, nobody knew how to work it, so they folded it. Clever.

ROK's technical direction has been wrong from the start, their business ethics are awful at best and I can confirm that people remain unpaid after the two rounds of heavy redundancies announced in October and November; myself included.

I can only hope that those out of pocket receive their money and those responsible are brought to task over their handling of the business.

I have been acquainted with Rok and its various subsidiaries and I can absolutely echo the comments above. This is an asset-stripping organisation who will mug anyone and everyone they encounter for their IP. They issue spurious patents all over the place in the same way an internet crook would buy up millions of domain names to sell back to legitimate businesses/individuals at a massive premium. The board are lining their own pockets, do not care about rewarding talent, do not care about paying their bills, and are clearly (AGAIN) looking here to rob people blind. DON'T BE FOOLED by the pathetic rhetoric that they are investing in hard times. It is companies like this who are making such hard times by their whimsical approach to contracts and obligations. DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT LETTING THEM HAVE YOUR IDEAS. Go to a reputable company.

Dont even think about giving ROK your ideas - virtually all of the software in the organisation is ripped off or hacked versions including the core streaming

if rok did take up your idea you can be sure the development and technical staff will miss the point completely and launch a product that looks awful, runs badly and completely lacks ALL the good aspects of the original idea.

as previous commenter said most of the development will take place on unlicensed software.

rok is full of inappropriate relationships, jobs for the lads and obsessive compulsive micro management where good ideas are withheld from decision makers.

hmmm, maybe one of us could get some cash back from these clowns -

https://reporting-emea.bsa.org/english/enduser/edit.aspx?page=1

report pirated software, get a reward.