Sachs told Ars he’s interested in placating Marine Aquarium fans and said Roku asked him to reinstate the license. When asked what his biggest concerns are about Fox’s purchase of Roku, Sachs said:
It seems like Fox just wants another place to spread their philosophy, which I find disgusting. I can’t stand the thought of my artwork being used to lure even one person down that rabbit hole.
The decision not to renew the license agreement has “significant financial consequences,” Sachs said.
“Our needs are very small, and the only significant expense is a large property tax bill,” he said. “We’ll be fine, but we won’t be able to 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 rights. They have always opted for exclusivity.” Ars asked Roku to confirm details of the licensing deal but did not hear back before publication.
The licensing deal with Roku was Sachs’ main form of income, he told Ars, highlighting poor sales of the computer version of the screensaver.
Marine Aquarium fans can still purchase the screen saver for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, but it seems unlikely to return to the Roku platform.
“One of the best reasons to buy Roku was the themes and fewer ads than the competitors. But they haven’t added any new themes in years other than sponsored ones, and they increased the number of ads,” one Reddit user posted this week in response to the loss of Roku’s Aquatic Life screensaver.
Meanwhile, Sachs says he is “under no illusions” that withdrawing the license will have any significant impact. However, he is hopeful that another streaming company will look to offer the screensaver.
“My guess is that Fox won’t reverse its entire anger-based business model and take responsibility for all the damage it’s caused. I’d love to restore the license under those circumstances. They might even have it for free,” he said.
Today, Fox closed its $22 billion acquisition of Roku.
