Google hits back at Oracle Android Java suit

Google has responded to Oracle's lawsuit over the use of Java in Android, claiming it has not infringed any of the claimed patents.

In its Tuesday answer to Oracle's complaint, which was filed in August, Google said the methods, apparatus and products described in the patents were in the public domain, and Oracle had no right to claim infringement because of Android's open nature. Oracle picked up Java when it bought Sun, and Java is integral in the Android mobile operating system.

Google noted that Oracle had itself been one of the voices criticising Sun for not fully open-sourcing its Technology Compatibility Kit (TCK), which was needed to demonstrate compatibility with the otherwise open Java platform, and which came with restrictive licensing.

"In essence, although developers were free to develop a competing Java virtual machine [such as the Dalvik VM that underpins Android], they could not openly obtain an important component needed to freely benefit from Sun's purported open-sourcing of Java," Google explained, before pointing out that Oracle, when it bought Sun, itself ignored requests to make Java truly open-source.

Google asked that the court declare the patents in question invalid, and that "Oracle's claims are barred by the doctrine of unclean hands". The company also asked for its legal costs to be paid.