// ARS TECHNICA — HARDWARE & GADGET
Developer ends lucrative screensaver deal with Roku because Fox bought it
Some Roku OS users have been sad to learn that their favorite screensaver will no longer be available as of December 1.
This week, affected users reported receiving an alert on their device that they will not be able to use the “Aquatic Life” screensaver after this month, as first reported by Cord Cutters News.
The screensaver has been an option for Roku OS users for 10 years. Roku has been licensing the animation, which is called the Marine Aquarium, from artist Jim Sachs through Prolific Publishing.
Sachs is the creator and copyright holder of the Marine Aquarium. He developed the screensaver through his company SereneScreen. He tells Ars Technica that the licensing agreement with Roku is up for renewal every October and can be canceled by either party for any reason. A day after learning that Fox was planning to buy Roku, a deal that closed today, Sachs told Prolific that he wouldn’t be renewing Roku’s license.
“I can’t be part of the Fox world,” he tells Ars, pointing to Fox News’ controversial style of news and entertainment.
Roku will automatically switch the Aquatic Life screensaver on affected devices to the Roku City screensaver, another popular animation that includes subtle advertisements, according to the user notice.
The Aquatic Life screensaver provided an ad-free, relaxing display for years for some Roku users. Numerous people online have lamented the impending loss of the screensaver for Roku OS .
“When my head is in overdrive (very often with my ADHD), this screensaver grounds me and lets me exhale and become focused with myself again. It may sound over the top, but it’s true. It takes a lot for me to chill and relax, but this Aquatic Life [screensaver] is my go to. Totally gutted 😢,” a Reddit user wrote this week.
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.