According to Alibaba -- the company behind the offending operating system -- this is a similar situation with Aliyun, albeit a change from earlier reports, who responded to the compatibility charge as follows:

"Aliyun OS is not part of the Android ecosystem so of course Aliyun OS is not and does not have to be compatible with Android. It is ironic that a company that talks freely about openness is espousing a closed ecosystem."

So, what about that Google? Well, it seems that the main complication is the Open Handset Alliance, a sort of club that agrees to help maintain the integrity of Android for the benefit of users, handset makers and developers alike. Membership to this club doesn't prevent you from working with other operating systems (Windows Phone, for example,) but does ask that you commit to the "one Android platform" mentioned above. So, Alibaba says it's not Android, Google claims it is. Which, some might argue, has justifiably led the Chinese software firm's VP of international corporate affairs, John Spelich, to ask "Will someone please ask Google to define Android." We're also left to wonder why Haier (also a member of the OHA) isn't receiving the same pressure, though it's also worth remembering Amazon isn't in the alliance. This leaves Acer, and potentially other members of the OHA, stuck in the middle, as well as raising further questions about Google's plans for China (where Alibaba is very powerful), and Android as a whole. Unfortunately, back in the immediate, it looks like Acer will have to rethink its strategy for the CloudMobile A800, in one of the world's largest markets. Though if we see a Jelly Bean version popping up soon, don't color us surprised.