Motorola in Froyo crackdown

PHONE MAKER Motorola is cracking down on a leaked Android 2.2 Froyo update for its Droid X smartphone by sending cease and desist letters to outfits that host the unauthorised software.

Mydroidworld (MDW) has already gotten a DMCA takedown notice for hosting the unauthorized software and taken it down, although there are mirrors and lots of people who appear to be sharing it.

Motorola representative Richard Rushing claimed in a letter to MDW that, "The URL contains software which we have confirmed as copyrighted. These exclusive rights are being violated by material available upon your site,"

David Ruddock of Android Police has been complaining that Motorola's behaviour was as autocractic as Apple's when it came to "unintended dissemination".

He said that Motorola was claiming that the Droid X's keyboard was copyrighted software to make a legal argument that the download package as a whole needs to be removed from the website.

Ruddock pointed out that while this is within its rights as a copyright holder, it makes Motorola seem about as friendly as a Great White Shark that's been taking assertiveness training classes from Ann Widdecombe. µ