Google Court to review its long-running lawsuit with Oracle, after the latter sued Google for copying the Javato create the Android operating system.
The case dates back to 2010, when Oracle bought Sun Microsystems, the creator of Java. After the acquisition, Java's new owners sued Google, seeking $8.8 billion for the use of Java in Android and another $475 million for potential lost revenue.
At the time, Google argued that APIs are too fundamental to programming to be copyrighted and that Oracle was “trying to make money by changing the rules of software development.”.
The court initially ruled that software interfaces, in this case, were not protected by copyright. But that decision was soon overturned in Oracle's favor in another trial.
Under the current court ruling, Google could potentially lose billions of dollars. That's why the company has turned to the Supreme Court to make a final decision and determine the boundaries of copyright law.
Google said in a blog post that the case is not only crucial to copyright law, but also has "practical significance" as it touches on two cornerstones of computing: Google's Android and Oracle's Java.
It could change the future of software and have a “widespread impact on innovation across the entire computer industry” if last year’s decision is not reversed.
Meanwhile, Oracle responded to Google's statements:
“The manufactured concern about innovation obscures Google’s real concern: that it will enable the unlimited ability to copy the original and valuable work of others for substantial financial gain,” said Dorian Daley, Executive Vice President of Oracle.
