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Mazda DMCA takedown of open source Home Assistant app

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Contents8
  1. Background
  2. DMCA takedown notice
  3. Legitimacy of the claim
  4. Mazda's response
  5. Subsequent subscription fee
  6. Consumer response
  7. See also
  8. References

In October 2023, Mazda issued a DMCA takedown notice against an open-source integration that allowed Mazda vehicle owners to control connected car features through the Home Assistant home automation platform.[1] The developer complied & removed the code, & Home Assistant dropped the integration from its platform.[2] A frequent Home Assistant contributor who reviewed the distributed Python package couldn't find any of the copyrighted code referenced in the notice.[2] Ten months later, Mazda began enforcing a $10/month subscription fee for the same connected car features the open-source tool had provided for free.[3]

Background

Mazda vehicles equipped with Mazda Connected Services can be controlled remotely through the official MyMazda smartphone app.[4] The app connects to Mazda's servers, which relay commands to the vehicle for functions like remote engine start, door lock/unlock, & vehicle status monitoring.

Software developer Brandon Rothweiler created open-source libraries (pymazda in Python & node-mymazda in JavaScript) that connected to the same Mazda API, allowing vehicle owners to integrate their cars with Home Assistant.[5][6] Home Assistant is an open-source platform that lets users automate devices across manufacturers in a single interface. The Mazda integration gave owners capabilities beyond the official app; users set up automations that checked fuel levels before commutes, activated chargers only when the car was plugged in, & started the engine remotely in cold conditions.[2]

Approximately 227 Home Assistant users had the integration enabled in analytics tracking, though the actual number of users was likely higher since tracking is opt-in.[5]

DMCA takedown notice

On October 10, 2023, Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) submitted a DMCA takedown notice to GitHub targeting three repositories maintained by Rothweiler: pymazda, node-mymazda, & mazda-mobile-start, along with eight forks by other users.[7] The notice claimed that "certain Mazda Information, including proprietary API information, was used to create code" & that "the code provides functionality same as what is currently in Apple App Store and Google Play App Store."[7]

Mazda also sent a separate cease-and-desist letter directly to Rothweiler.[1] Rothweiler removed all repositories. He told Ars Technica:

"When Mazda contacted me, my options were to either comply or open myself up to potential legal risk. Even if I believe that what I'm doing is morally correct and legally protected, legal processes still have a financial cost. I can't afford to take on that financial risk for something that I do in my spare time to help others."[2]

Home Assistant removed the Mazda Connected Services integration in the 2023.10.2 patch release on October 12, 2023.[1] In its blog post, Home Assistant said it was "disappointed that Mazda has decided to take this position" & noted that Mazda's "first recourse was not to reach out to us and the maintainer but to send a cease and desist letter instead."[1] The organization pointed out that other automakers, including Tesla & Audi, actively support third-party integrations with their vehicles.[1]

Legitimacy of the claim

Frequent Home Assistant contributor J. Nick Koston reviewed the code & stated: "I couldn't find any of the copyrighted code in the pypi package that they reference in the notice."[2] Rothweiler's libraries were written in Python & JavaScript, while Mazda's official app runs natively on iOS & Android, making direct code copying implausible.[5]

Mazda's notice specifically cited "proprietary API information" & the replication of "functionality" as the basis for infringement.[7] Under 17 U.S.C. sec. 102(b), copyright protects the expression of code but not its functionality.[8] The U.S. Supreme Court's 2021 ruling in Google LLC v. Oracle America, Inc., 593 U.S. 1, held that reimplementation of an API for the purpose of connecting & extending products can qualify as fair use.[2] The Electronic Frontier Foundation has also stated that reverse engineering for interoperability purposes can qualify as fair use under existing law.[9]

Mazda's response

As of October 2023, Mazda hadn't responded to press inquiries about the DMCA takedown; Ars Technica contacted the company for comment but received no reply.[2]

Subsequent subscription fee

Main article: Mazda remote-start subscription

Roughly ten months after the DMCA takedown removed the free open-source alternative, Mazda began enforcing a $10/month subscription fee for Mazda Connected Services in August 2024.[3] Mazda had introduced Connected Services in 2019 with a complimentary three-year trial; as those trials expired, owners received 60-day notices that the free period was ending.[10] Mazda had also quietly removed remote start from key fobs in 2021, making the subscription-based app the only way to start the car remotely.[10]

Automotive journalists & consumer advocates drew a direct connection between the DMCA takedown & the subsequent subscription enforcement: Mazda first eliminated the free third-party alternative, then began charging for the same features through its official app.[11]

Consumer response

Ars Technica, The Drive, & GIGAZINE covered the DMCA takedown.[2][9][5]

In November 2023, an anonymous developer using the name "runDMCA" published a community fork of the integration as a custom Home Assistant component available through the Home Assistant Community Store (HACS).[12] The fork's documentation argued the DMCA notice was issued "in bad faith" & cited the Google LLC v. Oracle America, Inc. ruling as precedent for fair use of APIs.[12] As of March 2026, the repository had 94 stars on GitHub & hadn't received updates beyond its initial v1.0 release.[12]

Home Assistant community members expressed frustration, with some stating they wouldn't have purchased a Mazda had they known the open-source integration would be removed.[13] When the $10/month subscription was announced in 2024, consumers explicitly linked it to the earlier takedown; one owner wrote: "They gave a cease and desist to the free open source Home Assistant plugin... so they can right off with their $10 fee."[3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Removal of Mazda Connected Services integration". Home Assistant. 2023-10-13. Archived from the original on 7 Jan 2026. Retrieved 2026-03-28.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Purdy, Kevin (2023-10-17). "Mazda's DMCA takedown kills a hobbyist's smart car API tool". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on 7 Jan 2026. Retrieved 2026-03-28.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Rivers, Stephen (2024-08-02). "Mazda Ends Free Connected Services Trial, Now Charges $10 A Month". Carscoops. Retrieved 2026-03-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ↑ "MyMazda App on the Google Play Store". Google Play. Archived from the original on 13 Feb 2026. Retrieved 2025-05-08.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 "Mazda suddenly removes integration of smart car features with open source software". GIGAZINE. 2023-10-24. Retrieved 2026-03-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ↑ "Open Source Integration on GitHub". GitHub. Archived from the original on 2022-07-17. Retrieved 2025-05-08.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "DMCA takedown notice by Mazda Motor Corporation". GitHub. 2023-10-10. Archived from the original on 2023-10-12. Retrieved 2026-03-28.
  8. ↑ "17 U.S.C. § 102 - Subject matter of copyright: In general". Legal Information Institute. Retrieved 2026-03-28.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Ismail, Adam (2023-10-20). "Mazda Slaps Developer With Cease-and-Desist for DIY Smart Home Integration". The Drive. Retrieved 2026-03-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Rodríguez Jr, José (2024-08-05). "Mazda Quietly Ditched Key Fob Remote Start for Subscription App (Updated)". The Drive. Retrieved 2026-03-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ↑ Rivers, Stephen (2024-09-28). "Mazda's $10 Subscription For Remote Start Sparks Backlash After Killing Open Source Option". Carscoops. Retrieved 2026-03-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 "home-assistant-mazda". GitHub. 2023-11-15. Retrieved 2026-03-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. ↑ "Mazda Connected Services on the Home Assistant community". Home Assistant. Archived from the original on 8 Jul 2025. Retrieved 2025-05-10.
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