Roku Aquatic Life screensaver removal follows creator’s license decision
Jim Sachs declined to renew Roku’s Marine Aquarium license after learning Fox planned to buy Roku, Ars Technica reported.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
The Roku Aquatic Life screensaver removal will take effect on December 1 after artist Jim Sachs declined to renew the license for the animation, according to Ars Technica. Roku users who rely on the fish-tank display will instead see the Roku City screensaver automatically applied to affected devices.
Sachs made the decision after learning that Fox planned to acquire Roku, he told Ars. He said he did not want his work associated with Fox and objected to the company’s approach to news and entertainment. Ars later reported that Fox had completed a $22 billion acquisition of Roku, though that report is the basis for the stated closing status.
Why is Roku removing the Aquatic Life screensaver?
Aquatic Life is Roku’s name for the Marine Aquarium animation created and copyrighted by Sachs, who developed it through SereneScreen. Roku had licensed the animation through Prolific Publishing for about a decade, Ars reported.
Sachs said the licensing agreement came up for renewal each October and either party could end it for any reason. After hearing of the planned Fox-Roku transaction, he told Prolific Publishing that he would not renew Roku’s rights, according to Ars.
The supplied reports do not include a Roku explanation for the change. They do show that device alerts told customers Aquatic Life would no longer be available after December 1 and that Roku City would replace it.
What happens to Roku users on December 1?
Users with Aquatic Life on their Roku devices are expected to be switched automatically to Roku City. Roku City is another animated screensaver, but Ars reported that it includes subtle advertising. The evidence provided does not establish that advertising was Roku’s reason for selecting it as the replacement.
Sachs said he was interested in addressing concerns from fans and that Roku had asked him to restore the license. Still, he told Ars it was unlikely that Marine Aquarium would return to the Roku platform. He said he hoped another streaming company might offer it.
Can Marine Aquarium still be used on other devices?
Yes. Marine Aquarium remains available to buy for Windows, macOS, iOS and Android, according to Ars. That does not mean purchasers can install it on Roku, where availability depended on the separate licensing arrangement.
The choice also affects Sachs financially. He told Ars that the Roku agreement was his main source of income and that ending it would have major financial consequences. Sachs said Roku had paid $80,000 a year for exclusive rights covering set-top devices, rather than a $60,000 nonexclusive rate, but Roku did not respond to Ars’ request to confirm those terms before publication.
For readers seeking the underlying report, Ars Technica’s account includes Sachs’ description of the licensing decision and the planned device change.
This story draws on original reporting from Ars Technica.