Yes, and the consumer has the right to do whatever they want with the hardware and OSS components of Android. They don't have any right to use the Play Store or other Google specific components. You can sideload your own.
FWIW, Google is allowing power-users a work around where you register the device to your own account, and then you can use their products. It seems as if they're targeting bootleggers who may be selling tampered products to non-savvy consumers, which isn't unreasonable imo.
>They don't have any right to use the Play Store or other Google specific components. You can sideload your own.
They do, if they purchased the device (and have a legitimate account with google). Google AFAIK has not provided any evidence to affected users detailing how they have breached their terms.
Android is an operating system that is open source.
The Google Play Store is a proprietary software package that is released on some devices which use a proprietary licensed version of Android.
Using the open source operating system known as Android does not entitle you magically to Google's other proprietary software. Google only gives the Play Store to some certified hardware handsets, that meet requirements they arbitrarily decide on.
There was an issue with vendors, who were using open source Android (legally), sideloading the proprietary Google play store without permission (illegal) and then selling that to Consumers.
Again, you can sideload your own different store that isn't Google Play. Your account isn't being banned or restricted - you can sign in on Google Play on a valid device that's allowed to have it - but this is Google's only recourse against manufacturers sideloading the Play store when they aren't allowed to.
>There was an issue with vendors, who were using open source Android (legally), sideloading the proprietary Google play store without permission (illegal) and then selling that to Consumers.
Users are seeing this also with Google's own hardware.
Flashing your own rom onto a device invalidates the certification it has. You can restore it to default settings, or use the user bypass for it (which if you're flashing your own rom is trivial.)
Believe me, I completely understand what you're saying. I don't see myself being convinced that the user is in the wrong here, unless Google provides specific evidence that the user has abused their services for doing something nefarious.
Nobody is saying that the user is in the wrong. Google specifically provides a mechanism for users of custom ROMs to register their devices and get around this block.
FWIW, Google is allowing power-users a work around where you register the device to your own account, and then you can use their products. It seems as if they're targeting bootleggers who may be selling tampered products to non-savvy consumers, which isn't unreasonable imo.