Developer Pulls Roku's Popular Fish Tank Screensaver Following Fox Sale
Roku is removing its popular Aquatic Life fish tank screensaver on December 1 and automatically switching affected users to Roku City. According to Cord Cutters News, the creator pulled the license after Roku's sale to FOX was announced. Ars Technica reports: The screensaver has been an option for Roku OS users for 10 years. Roku has been licensing the animation, which is called the Marine…
Roku is discontinuing its popular Aquatic Life fish tank screensaver on December 1 and automatically redirecting users to Roku City. The creator of the screensaver, Jim Sachs, withdrew the license after Roku's acquisition by Fox was announced. The screensaver, called the Marine Aquarium, has been an option for Roku OS users for 10 years and was licensed from artist Jim Sachs through Prolific Publishing.
Sachs, who developed the screensaver through his company SereneScreen, informed Prolific that he would not be renewing the Roku license, citing Fox News' controversial style of news and entertainment. Roku will replace the Aquatic Life screensaver with Roku City, which includes subtle advertisements. The decision to not renew the licensing contract will have significant financial consequences for Sachs, as their expenses are minimal and they had planned to start new projects.
The licensing agreement was $80,000 per year for exclusive rights or $60,000 per year for non-exclusive, but they chose the exclusive option. Roku has not confirmed the licensing agreement details. Marine Aquarium fans can still purchase the screensaver for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, but it is unlikely to return to the Roku platform.
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