Google Loses Its Appeal Over Licensing Oracle's Java in Android OS

[engine]

This long running dispute rumbles on, with Google's defence that interoperability helps drive innovation, and Oracle taking the opposite approach that copyright protection helps pay for software development.
Whichever side of the fence you site, the implications of the outcome are likely to be significant, not just in financial terms.

Oracle Corp (ORCL.N) won a major legal victory on Monday in a closely watched copyright case involving the company's Java programing language as the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Google Inc's (GOOGL.O) appeal.

The decision upholds a ruling that allows Oracle to seek licensing fees for the use of some of the Java language. Google had said it should be able to use Java without paying a fee. Google Loses Its Appeal Over Licensing Oracle's Java Used in Android OS [reuters.com]

"We will continue to defend the interoperability that has fostered innovation and competition in the software industry," Google said in a statement on Monday.

Oracle, however, has said effective copyright protection is the key to software development. General Counsel Dorian Daley said on Monday that the Supreme Court decision was a "win for innovation."

earlier story
Google guilty of Java copyright infringement with Android [webmasterworld.com]

[goodroi]

Entertaining watching 800 pound gorillas fighting each other.

[Leosghost]

A win for the IP copyright holders ( Oracle in this case ) and a justly deserved loss for the copyright infringers Google..

Such a shame that it takes an 800lb gorilla with huge legal staff, and such a long time ..to force Google to respect what was obviously someone elses copyright IP..

Using Java without a license is like running your car on the gasoline that you siphoned out of the other guy's tank..and claiming that you had to "not pay him" ( despite your incredible wealth ) because only by not paying , can you make it possible for you to give your users / passengers a free ride in your car..

Oracle never said that Google couldn't use the java..they just said that Google should pay for the license, paying for the license doesn't take away any "interoperability"..