That silent battle being waged behind the screen on that device on your nightstand grew louder today as a Federal jury sitting in San Francisco issued a split verdict in favor of Oracle Corp and against Google in a major copyright infringement lawsuit. The jury found Google liable for copyright infringement in connection with its use of Oracle's Java interfaces in Google's development of the Android operating system. However, the jury found that Google did not violate significant elements of the Java software.
The Android operating system is a Linux-based operating system used in tablet computers and smart phones. Java is a computer programming language that was originally developed at Sun Microsystems, which later merged into Oracle. Java's website describes its platform as being so ubiquitous that it is what "allows you to play online games, chat with people around the world, calculate your mortgage interest, and view images in 3D, just to name a few. It's also integral to the intranet applications and other e-business solutions that are the foundation of corporate computing."
The verdict reportedly included a finding that Google infringed Oracle's copyrights in connection with the overall structure of the Java software. But, according to The New York Times, the Jury's verdict means that Google will not have to redesign the Android operating system. Reports also reveal the jury could not decide whether the fair-use doctrine applied to permit Google a limited use of the subject materials, and that it appears unlikely that Oracle will be awarded the $1 billion in damages that it was seeking.
But don't expect that hitting the snooze button on your device of choice will quite things down for long; this phase of the case concerned Oracle's copyright claims. Further litigation, including a patent infringement phase, has already begun.
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