While it is due to the deal between Verizon and Skype, it does show Google is pretty much asleep at the wheel when it comes to keeping their "open" platform open to the end user. Want Skype on Android? Go buy a Verizon Droid phone. And be forced to use it over 3G only, on a device and platform touted to be "open".

This is a very different situation then the open nature of Linux. The GPL forces certain things to ensure the core remains open all the way to the end user to the point of allowing that user to see the source code behind the OS. It also has provisions to ensure a vendor like Dell can't package it up, lock it down, and ship it on their computers. If Dell want to ship Linux, it has to remain open.