Artist and developer Sachs said Roku’s decision not to renew the license for his Aquatic Life screensaver has significant financial consequences, although he does not expect the move to meaningfully affect Roku or Fox. The screensaver remains available on Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, but its return to Roku appears unlikely following Fox’s acquisition of the streaming platform.
Sachs told Ars that he was interested in appeasing fans of the marine aquarium screensaver and that Roque had asked him to reinstate his license. Asked about his biggest concerns regarding Fox’s acquisition of Roku, Sachs said:
It seems like Fox just wants another venue to spread their philosophy, which I find offensive. I can’t stand the thought of my artwork being used to lure even one person down the rabbit hole.
Sachs said the decision not to renew the licensing agreement had “significant financial implications.”
“Our needs are very small and the only major expense is a high property tax bill,” he said. “I’m fine, but I can’t start any of the projects I had planned.”
According to Sachs, the licensing agreement paid $80,000 per year for exclusive rights on all set-top devices and $60,000 per year for nonexclusive rights. “They’ve always chosen exclusivity,” he said. Ars asked Roque to confirm the details of the agreement but did not receive a response before publication.
The Roku licensing deal was Sachs’ primary source of income. He said sales of computer screensavers have been slow.
Fans of the oceanarium can still purchase the screensaver for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, but a return to the Roku platform seems unlikely.
“One of the biggest reasons I bought Roku was that it had more themes and fewer ads than its competitors. But they haven’t added any new themes in years other than sponsored themes, which has increased the amount of ads,” a Reddit user wrote. The comment was posted this week in response to Roku losing the Aquatic Life screensaver.
Sachs said he was under “no delusions” that the license revocation would have any meaningful impact. However, he said he hoped another streaming company might consider offering the screensaver.
“My guess is that Fox won’t completely reverse its anger-based business model and take responsibility for all the damage it has caused. It would be happy to reinstate its license under those circumstances. It could even get it for free,” he said.
Fox completed the acquisition of Roku. Roku trades for $22 billion today.
Source: arstechnica.com
