Late yesterday, BusinessWeek published a story alleging that Google is going to exert tighter control over third-party hardware manufacturers who want to customize the Android UI , including withholding new code from manufacturers who don't comply with Google's guidelines for performance and experience on Android. As Android is open source software, based on Linux, this has caused quite a kerfluffle. However, this is absolutely a necessary move, if Google wants to secure Android's position as a long-term competitor in the mobile market. Google bait-and-switch , nor is Google's action a hypocritical move that will limit hardware partners ability to innovate on the open platform. And no, Google isn't dropping its promise to the open source community, either. What Google is doing is using the leverage it has to protect the people who matter--you know, the people who actually buy Android phones and expect them to be awesome. People like you and meSo, what exactly is Google doing to fix this obvious problem? Google hasn't confirmed this yet, but the company has a big hammer to hold over manufacturers that don't want to comply with their performance or experience guidelines. The simplest thing to do is withhold the closed source applications that they've built for the platform. In fact, Google's already done that--Archos tablets don't include the Google Market.I wouldn't. There's also the little matter of the Android name itself. Android is, and always has been, a trademark of Google. That means if you want to use the Android name to market your phone, you need permission from the Goog. This isn't a new thing. It's the same hammer that the Google has held since Android's inception. Google won't prevent anyone from modifying the open-source portions of Android and using it however they want. You just can't install Google's proprietary apps, access the Market, or call it Android. Using this as leverage doesn't violate any open source licenses,And if Google withholds its latest and greatest software for the companies that make that software shine, that's fine by me. I want my Android hot, fresh, and tasty. Any company that wants to build a janky-ass custom UI to sit on top of the Android kernel and slow down my phone is more than welcome to. They can keep doing exactly what they're doing today--shipping gorgeous new hardware with ancient versions of Android and all the "enhanced" user interfaces they want. But please, don't call that hodgepodge Android.