Sachs told Ars he wanted to appease Sea Aquarium fans and said Roku asked him to restore the license. When asked what his biggest concerns were regarding Fox’s purchase of Roku, Sachs responded:
It seems like Fox just wants another venue to spread its philosophy, which I consider repugnant. I can’t stand the thought of my artwork being used to lure even one person down this rabbit hole.
The decision not to renew the licensing agreement has “major financial consequences,” Sachs said.
“Our needs are very modest, with the only major expense being a high property tax bill,” he said. “Everything will be fine, but we can’t start any of the projects I had planned.”
According to Sachs, the licensing agreement “was $80,000 per year for exclusive rights to all set-top boxes, or $60,000 per year for non-exclusive rights. They always went for exclusivity.” Ars asked Roku to confirm details of the licensing agreement, but did not receive a response prior to publication.
The licensing deal with Roku was Sachs’ primary form of revenue, he told Ars, pointing to low sales of the computer version of the screensaver.
Marine Aquarium fans can still purchase the screensaver for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, but it seems unlikely that it will return to the Roku platform.
“One of the best reasons to buy Roku was the themes and fewer ads than competitors. But they haven’t added new themes in years besides sponsored ones, and they increased the amount of ads,” a Reddit user posted this week in response to Roku losing the Aquatic Life screensaver.
Sachs, meanwhile, says he has “no idea” that removing the license will have a significant impact. However, he hopes another streaming company will look to offer the screensaver.
“I guess Fox won’t reverse its rage-based business model and take responsibility for all the damage it’s caused. I’d be happy to restore the license under these circumstances. They might even have it for free,” he said.
Fox today completed its $22 billion acquisition of Roku.
Gn tech
