legal opinion on selling device with Android OS with pre-installed apps from Android Market...?

Hi everyone ,


I am working as part of a team developing computers.

*Do you happen to know if it is possible for a manufacturer to sell a computer device with an Android OS with Pre-installed free android apps from the Android Market..?
Or would it be an issue with distribution rights?

If you do know, do you have any legal proofs that you could provide me with? (if there is any).


Thank you very much in advance for your help!

Look forward to hearing from you soon.

Edamam


Best Regards,
Mami Ishibashi

I'm not a lawyer, but I do have some questions that may help me give some advice:

Does the device your team is planning on selling have access to the Android Market? I'm assuming not, unless it is a telephone and is recognized by Google.

Are any of the apps paid-apps? If so, that might be an issue if each copy isn't paid for somehow. How many apps are you guys planning on pre-installing on this device? You may want to think about contacting each developer and asking what their opinion is. In my opinion, it is better to check with the developer before hand rather than risk some sort of lawsuit after it is too late.

As for Google/Android, I don't know whether they would have any problems with your teams actions, but again, it is always better to ask them, or find a lawyer knowledgeable in the matter.

I went ahead and closed/deleted the duplicate thread in a different section of the forum, as this one is in a better location in the forums.

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