Minitap, the startup behind the open-source Android automation project mobile-use, has publicly accused Google of using its code, prompts and test cases in the company's Artemis mobile automation codebase without proper attribution, according to a report by Neowin cited by IThome on September 12.
Minitap co-founder and CEO Nikola Dehanchouk said Google's Artemis implementation includes specific code for Android device connections, Hopper agent instructions and WhatsApp message tasks that Minitap had written, with some sections matching verbatim. Notably, a file in the Artemis package that originally listed Minitap authors Pierre-Louis Favrot, Jean-Pierre Lo and Nikola Dehanchouk was replaced in an August forced push.
After the issue was raised, Google added a credit line to the code: "This project contains source code developed by Minitap." The incident highlights that open source does not mean unrestricted use; users must still comply with the terms of the applicable license.
From open source to closed source
Minitap had released mobile-use as an open-source project that allows AI to control real Android devices through natural language. After writing that code, the company shifted to closed-source software for its current products. Dehanchouk said today's Minitap is a "completely different entity" and that Google is now seven months behind in technical progress.
The dispute underscores the complexities of open-source licensing in the fast-moving AI agent space, where companies often build on each other's work. For developers and enterprises relying on AI automation tools, the case serves as a reminder to check license terms before integrating code, and to maintain clear provenance records.
As AI agents become more common for device automation, the Minitap-Google dispute may prompt more scrutiny of how major tech firms handle open-source contributions. It also raises questions about the sustainability of open-source projects when commercial entities adopt their code without immediate credit.
Based on reporting by IT之家. Edited and published in English by geisou.
