[size=16pt]We have to start looking for an alternative to JAVA[/size]

A San Francisco jury issued a verdict that the Google broke copyright laws when it used Java APIs to design the Android system.

If the verdict that Android infringed copyrights stands, it could put programmers in a difficult situation. Java is an open source language, but now it's not clear how free programmers are to use it, since Oracle has said that anyone following the Java APIs—which are basically sets of instructions about how to use Java—needs a license.

The effects beyond Android and Java are unclear. At this point, Android is the only "non-standard" implementation of Java. However, it could have a chilling effect, and if Oracle is seen as a major IP enforcer when it comes to Java, that could backfire.

"Other people will be deterred from using Java as the basis for some non-standard thing in the future," said Tyler Ochoa, a professor of copyright law at Santa Clara University. "It could be the case that Oracle wins the battle and loses the war."

Story links: http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2012/05/jury-rules-google-violated-copyright-law-google-moves-for-mistrial.ars
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57428612-94/oracle-v-google-jury-returns-partial-verdict-favoring-oracle/

interesting.

i dont get this oracle guys.if you people come close to nigeria and talk nonsense about my software built with java,i will show you people.then you will know that there is chinese java and american java.i have been preparing to learn python,C++ and C#.now its the time or better still google go.

Oracle’s situation in its intellectual property legal battle against Google is looking more bleak by the day.

At one point in time, Oracle was trying to go after Google with the intent to receive up to $6 billion in damages . Slowly that figure has dwindled down to somewhere around $1 billion and then a few hundred million.

Now, it looks like Oracle could end up with just $150,000 — if anything at all given that the threat of a mistrial looms and we’re still in the middle of the second phase of the trial covering patent infringement.

Judge William Alsup warned Oracle at the U.S. District Court of Northern California on Thursday morning that the “most” the plaintiff might end up with is statutory damages over the nine lines of code in the rangeCheck method — the only item on the verdict form during phase one of the trial in which the jury found Google’s conceded use was copyright infringement.

“The fact that they have nine lines out of many millions, you have no damage study tied in,” Alsup exclaimed to Oracle.

Although it is up to the jury to determine damages, the maximum limit for statutory damages is $150,000.

Alsup suggested they “might want to find a way to streamline for some dollar amount,” hinting they should try to negotiate a settlement in order to avoid a long third phase of the trial dedicated to determining damages.

Nevertheless, all of this is still to be determined as Google has filed a motion for the copyrights phase of the trial to be declared a mistrial. The judge has not ruled on that issue yet.

Even if Google had to fork over $150,000, it could still be a huge win for the Internet giant considering how much Oracle originally wanted.

In regards to the patents part of the lawsuit — which as Groklaw described as a “roll of the dice for both parties” — Google put up a better offer in April for up to $2.8 million in damages over two patents in question. Furthermore, Google also offered a deal of 0.5 percent from Android revenue for one patent through December 2012 and 0.015 percent on a second patent through April 2018. The catch is that this offer was only a stipulation for damages if (and only if) Oracle prevails on patent infringement.

Oracle reportedly rejected it.

Link: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/oracle-might-only-receive-150000-in-damages-from-google/76611?tag=nl.e539

[size=14pt]Google Cleared of Infringing on Oracle’s Java Patents[/size]

Google did not infringe on any Oracle patents when it used Java software in the Android operating system, a federal jury said on Wednesday.

The verdict, reached in Federal District Court in San Francisco, leaves Oracle with a relatively small claim of copyright infringement, making it almost certain that the judge will not demand a harsh penalty from Google.

That would be a mild end to what at one time seemed to be a major case between two of the largest companies in computer technology. Oracle, which picked up the Java software language when it bought Sun Microsystems, accused Google of violating both patent and copyright protections in developing Android, which is now the world’s most popular smartphone operating system. If Google had lost on several counts of the case, it could have been subject to severe fines or been forced to let Oracle in on future developments of Android.

“It’s a full win for us,” said Jim Prosser, a Google spokesman. “If you look at what has happened in this case so far, they didn’t have much.”

Deborah Hellinger, an Oracle spokeswoman, issued a statement saying:

“Oracle presented overwhelming evidence at trial that Google knew it would fragment and damage Java. We plan to continue to defend and uphold Java’s core write-once, run-anywhere principle and ensure it is protected for the nine million Java developers and the community that depend on Java compatibility.”

The case became notable for the star power of its witnesses, as both Oracle’s chief executive, Lawrence J. Ellison, and Google’s chief executive, Larry Page, took the stand. Evidence also included several embarrassing e-mails from Google executives discussing whether they needed to seek a software license for Java.

Earlier this month, the jury found that Google had violated Oracle’s copyright covered by patents RE38,104 and 6,061,520 , but only on a few lines of code, out of millions of lines in Android. Other copyright claims were, like Wednesday’s patent claims, unconvincing to the jury.

Judge William Alsup of Federal District Court in San Francisco, who is presiding in the case, has shown himself to be something of an amateur programmer. He has been somewhat dismissive of the sophistication needed to create the Android code that the jury earlier found had been stolen, another indication that he was unlikely to pass harsh judgment on Google.

While Oracle may appeal the verdict, there is still another wrinkle in the trial. The judge must still rule on whether or not application programming interfaces, or A.P.I.’s, can be copyrighted. A.P.I.’s are the specifications between different software components that enable them to communicate with each other. If he rules that they cannot be copyrighted, damages will be relatively modest. If he finds that they are, the case will be again presented to a jury.

Link: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/23/google-cleared-of-java-patent-violation/

[size=14pt]Google to pay $0 to Oracle[/size]

In a hearing in the US District Court today, it was determined that Google will pay a net total of nothing for Oracle's patent claims against them. In fact, Google is given 14 days to file an application for Oracle to pay legal fees to Google(in a similar manner to how things are done for frivolous lawsuits). However, it is not quite peaches and roses for Google, as Oracle is planning on appealing the decision in the case.

This is obviously very good news for Google, but we will have to see what happens with Oracle's appeal. Of course, appeals for most cases are to be expected(especially with a case like this one, which was heavily watched, and has a large impact on the Software and IT industries as a whole).

For those who do not know about this case yet, here's a rundown. Android is based on a variant of the Java programming language/platform called 'Dalvik'. Java's copyrights was owned(at the time) by Sun Microsystems. Then, in April of 2009, Oracle bought out Sun Microsystems(primarily to gain access to Java's patents, since Java is one of the most commonly used programming languages overall). Due to the similarity to the function/method calls(called APIs) between Java and Dalvik, Oracle thought that they could have a legitimate claim against Android for violating their own patents. The initial complaints against Google were filed in 2010.

By Josh Wretlind

Link: http://www.examiner.com/article/google-to-pay-0-to-oracle-for-their-lawsuit?cid=db_articles