Jury Finds Google Infringed Oracle Copyrights Over Android Trial

Posted on May 8 2012 - 6:36am by Editorial Staff

The ongoing Oracle and Google lawsuit which we reported last time what moves a step closer to the resolution as the attorneys of both sides presenting their closing arguments. The jury found that the search giant is the one who had infringed upon Oracle’s copyrights by its use of the structure, sequence, and organization (SSO) of the 37 Java APIs utilized in Android.  Judge Alsup also has to decide if the SSO of the Java APIs is actually copyrightable as a matter of law – he instructed to proceed the way as they are going through, but also remains an open question of significant importance. Both Oracle’s and Google’s legal teams are preparing briefs on the question for submission to Judge Alsup by May 10th. Both sides will be submitting responses to the others’ briefs on May 14th, with the judge making his decision at some point thereafter. As for Oracle and Google, both companies have issued official statements in response to the day’s events.

Google: We appreciate the jury’s efforts, and know that fair use and infringement are two sides of the same coin. The core issue is whether the APIs here are copyrightable, and that’s for the court to decide. We expect to prevail on this issue and Oracle’s other claims.

Oracle: Oracle, the nine million Java developers, and the entire Java community thank the jury for their verdict in this phase of the case. The overwhelming evidence demonstrated that Google knew it needed a license and that its unauthorized fork of Java in Android shattered Java’s central write once run anywhere principle. Every major commercial enterprise — except Google — has a license for Java and maintains compatibility to run across all computing platforms.

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