Will Oracle destroy Google after continuing court battle? Probably not destroy, but it could be bad news for everyone. Especially Java fans. Oracle may win its lawsuit, claiming the false use of Java in Android from Google. The problem is that the decisions are not in the hands of Google and Oracle peers. The jury is made up of those who have no clue what they are hearing. Some may have a bit of knowledge about APIs. But for most, the court proceedings might as well be in Chinese. This could be a win for Oracle, and bad news for Google. Is the justice system upholding the “fair trial” practices?
Google vs. Oracle
The lawsuit over Oracle suing for Google’s use of Java with Android was upheld in Supreme Court. This was last year. So the battle continues. A not so tech savvy jury ruled in favor of Oracle in 2012. The claim was that Google infringed on copyright laws after the alleged use of more than 35 Java APIs. Oracle did lose the patent case, but still has their copyright lawsuit intact. It could be bad for Google, since $9.3 billion is on the table.
Java is Now in Session
The billions at stake are now in his hands of a jury that knows very little about computer science and copyright law. To areas, that would be confusing to many people. So how is a judgment by your peers relevant in this case? APIs are simply guidelines. They are not the same as code. If the jury rules in favor of Java misuse, the ripple could be felt all the way down the tech line. It could have negative implications for interoperability, which would halt the innovative tech industry in its tracks. Since open APIs are used in every program ever created.
What Will Become of Software Development?
The wide-open use of APIs in the past may come to an end. This will put software development into a tailspin. Oracle is betting on the jury’s lack of knowledge when it comes to APIs to win he case. They are playing to emotions and copyright law, using an Android commercial success as the catalyst for Google destruction. Is the Java case just, or simply a sham?
