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Oracle sues Google for Java patent, copyright infringement

By | August 12, 2010, 5:32pm PDT

Summary: In a brief press release issued late Thursday afternoon, Oracle said it has filed suit against Google, alleging patent and copyright infringement as part of its development of Android. The company offered no details and the release contained a simple two-sentence quote from Oracle spokesperson Karen Tillman: In developing Android, Google knowingly, directly and repeatedly infringed Oracle’s [...]

In a brief press release issued late Thursday afternoon, Oracle said it has filed suit against Google, alleging patent and copyright infringement as part of its development of Android.

The company offered no details and the release contained a simple two-sentence quote from Oracle spokesperson Karen Tillman:

In developing Android, Google knowingly, directly and repeatedly infringed Oracle’s Java-related intellectual property. This lawsuit seeks appropriate remedies for their infringement.

Earlier today, Gartner released data that showed big gains for Android-powered devices and, if it stays on this track, it’s set to surpass Research in Motion and become the No. 2 mobile phone platform, second to Symbian. The company also announced some enhancements to Android today and this week saw the release of its latest smartphone, the Motorola Droid 2 for Verizon Wireless.

Company CEO Eric Schmidt has previously said that about 200,000 Android-powered devices are activated daily.

Oracle said Google is infringing on seven patents. Here’s the complaint via CNet News:

Oracle’s complaint against Google for Java patent infringement

See also:

  • Oracle sues Google: Looking for a piece of the mobile pie
  • Oracle uses James Gosling patent to attack Google and Android developers
  • Oracle sues Google: titanic clash over Java platform looms

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    Google Inc., Patent, Oracle Corp., Copyright Infringement, Sam Diaz

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    Talkback Most Recent of 22 Talkback(s)

    • Seems like the lawsuit that was done against Microsoft...
      For not being a "pure" Java...
      ZDNet Gravatar
      Roque Mocan
      12th Aug 2010
    • RE: Oracle sues Google for patent, copyright infringement
      @Roque Mocan
      Friday, 13th 2010...a day that will live in infamy!
      I think M$ is uncorking the champagne over this GPL v3 debacle.
      ZDNet Gravatar
      Linux Geek
      13th Aug 2010
    • oops, told ya so
      Larry & Sergey, your short run ripping others off will soon be over! don't mess with the big boys!! copying iOS and hoping to get away with it is not a receipt for success.

      apple will have a lawsuit with htc soon and now oracle with google.

      android is dead.
      ZDNet Gravatar
      banned from zdnet
      12th Aug 2010
    • RE: Oracle sues Google for patent, copyright infringement
      @banned from zdnet

      copying iOS? my goodness, get a grip on yourself !
      ZDNet Gravatar
      dcfan1
      12th Aug 2010
    • RE: Oracle sues Google for patent, copyright infringement
      @banned from zdnet

      iFools may want to sit this one out. Your favorite company Apple is not a software engineering company and much of this will be over your heads.
      ZDNet Gravatar
      storm14k
      12th Aug 2010
    • RE: Oracle sues Google for patent, copyright infringement
      @banned from zdnet

      why your persistent drivel has not resulted in you from actually being banned from zdnet never ceases to amaze me
      ZDNet Gravatar
      rikasa
      12th Aug 2010
    • It's because...
      @rikasa

      The editors of ZDNet can point to him and say "see, we *don't* censor!" happy
      ZDNet Gravatar
      wolf_z
      13th Aug 2010
    • As Java goes so goes Oracle...
      Oracle will pretty much kill Java now whether they win or loose this. Either way those that opposed Oracle buying Sun can now say they were right. It almost shows you Oracles whole plan. They want to lock down Java in some monolithic stack where you have to come to Oracle for everything. They basically said that from the get go. Well of course if they did people would simply run to things like OpenJDK/IcedTea and now with Android's success Dalvik. And since Dalvik seems to be the furthest away from Java I'm sure thats where many would run first. So Oracle is attacking them first to try and close that door.

      As for this being similar to the MS suit I don't think so. MS basically created an incompatible version of Java and called it Java with the intent of locking people into their version and killing it. Google has made no claims to my knowledge that they are using Java. The have always called it Dalvik and said that is uses the Java syntax. In no way have they made it seem that you are developing pure Java.
      ZDNet Gravatar
      storm14k
      12th Aug 2010
    • RE: Oracle sues Google for patent, copyright infringement
      @storm14k
      At the time, Microsoft's Java was the most compliant and fastest (it had Anders Helsberg behind it), but there were compiler options to optimize for Windows and they were the defaults. I think that was the reason for the Microsoft suit.
      ZDNet Gravatar
      Roque Mocan
      12th Aug 2010
    • No, MS deliberately shipped something not 100% compatible with Java spec
      @Roque Mocan

      Here's a link to an article from the time:
      http://www.javaworld.com/javaworld/jw-10-1997/jw-10-lawsuit.html

      The relevant part is "Specifically, Microsoft made the choice last week to ship products it claims are fully Java 1.1 compliant, but which failed to pass the Java 1.1 compatibility tests the company received from Sun in February. "
      ZDNet Gravatar
      Zogg
      13th Aug 2010
    • Android predicted to outsell iPhone, I think not says Jobs ...
      Hey isn't Oracle CEO Larry Ellison best friends with Steve Jobs? I think so ... and I think I smell desperation on Apple's side ... http://www.peoplesoft-planet.com/Larry-Ellison-Discusses-Steve-Jobs-In-Interview.html
      ZDNet Gravatar
      Lepsa
      12th Aug 2010
    • RE: Oracle sues Google for patent, copyright infringement
      @Lepsa I bet they won't be friends after he realizes this is going to sink Oracle and not Google.
      ZDNet Gravatar
      storm14k
      12th Aug 2010
    • RE: Oracle sues Google for patent, copyright infringement
      Sounds to me that Oracle bought Sun for its patents, to use against companies with money. They likely have no plans to further develop any of Sun's products.

      I guess this was bound to happen, companies buying companies, not to enhance their offerings, or widen their market coverage, but for patents. I suppose a few good lawyers are more economical, with a better rate of return, than actually producing, marketing and selling things that are useful.
      Unfortunately, as more and more companies jump on the patent bandwagon, there becomes less companies willing to risk doing anything new for fear of being sued.

      I think it is time do away with the archaic patent system, and find a fair way to protect IP, a system designed for the software world, not the hardware world. In fact, the concept of software had not even been in a science fiction story at the time the patent system was created.

      Its on par with regulating aircraft using horse laws.
      ZDNet Gravatar
      anothercanuck
      12th Aug 2010
    • RE: Oracle sues Google for patent, copyright infringement
      @anothercanuck

      I really don't understand how the can make a patent claim on GPLed software for a company using it under those conditions. Its free to use modify and distribute even if that means only a piece of your code or even just part of the ideas end up in another product thats still free to use modify and redistribute.

      Honestly I think they have shot themselves in the foot. Win or loose how are the open source projects that basically make Java what it is today going to feel about Oracle now?
      ZDNet Gravatar
      storm14k
      12th Aug 2010
    • Java has never been under GPL
      @storm14k

      IIRC, Sun had their own license for Java, and it was nowhere near as permissive as the GPL.
      ZDNet Gravatar
      wolf_z
      13th Aug 2010
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