Developer ends lucrative screensaver deal with Roku because Fox bought it

Sachs told Ars he’s interested in placating fans of the Marine Aquarium and said Roku has asked him to restore the license. When asked what his biggest concerns about Fox buying Roku are, Sachs said:

It seems that Fox simply wants another venue for spreading their philosophy, which I consider repugnant. I can’t stand the idea of my artwork being used to lure even one person down that rabbit hole.

The decision to not renew the licensing contract has “major financial consequences,” Sachs said.

“Our needs are very small, with a high property tax bill being the only significant expense,” he said. “We’ll be okay but 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 devices, or $60,000 per year for non-exclusive. They have always opted for exclusive.” Ars asked Roku to confirm the details of the licensing agreement but didn’t hear back ahead of publication.

The licensing deal with Roku was Sachs’ primary form of income, he told Ars, noting low sales of the version of the screensaver for computers.

Marine Aquarium fans can still buy 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 less ads than competitors. But they haven’t added any new themes in years aside from sponsored ones, and they increased the amount of ads,” a Reddit user posted this week in response to Roku’s loss of the Aquatic Life screensaver.

Sachs, meanwhile, says he has “no delusions” that pulling the license will have any meaningful impact. However, he’s hopeful that another streaming company will look to offer the screensaver.

“I’m assuming that Fox will not be reversing their whole rage-based business model and take responsibility for all the harm it has caused. I’d be happy to restore the license under those circumstances. They could even have it for free,” he said.