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Topic Starter Topic: Oracle vs Google: a fight over Android OS
Eraser
Cool #9
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Joined: 01 Dec 2000
Posts: 44149
PostPosted: 08-20-2010 01:39 AM           Profile   Send private message  E-mail  Edit post Reply with quote


A short introduction. Google has developed Android as a platform for mobile phones. We all probably know about Android. The OS is based on a Linux kernel with a Java stack on top of it. Java is originally developed by Sun Microsystems but they have been bought out by Oracle some time ago. Oracle is now sueing Google, claiming that Google infringed on 7 patents and some (yet to be publically specified) copyrights.

Oracle wants Google to stop development and distribution of Android, they want them to pay for damages and they want all existing copies of Android to be destroyed. These are tough claims. The question is now how realistic Oracle's claims are. We'll find out in due time, but it's an interesting battle that's about to unfold itself. For those who have been following this or are interested in such things, here's a great article that digs deeper into the claims made by Oracle in an easy to understand way without all kinds of legal language.

It looks like a long read but it's not too bad since most of the page consists of the complaint filed by Oracle itself and comments on the article.
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+JuggerNaut+
social engineer
social engineer
Joined: 13 Oct 2001
Posts: 30226
PostPosted: 08-20-2010 06:24 AM           Profile Send private message  E-mail  Edit post Reply with quote


The read is long, but this case will last years. Snooze.
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Don Carlos
Unquantifiable Abstract
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Joined: 31 Dec 1969
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PostPosted: 08-20-2010 06:29 AM           Profile   Send private message  E-mail  Edit post Reply with quote


Cash agreement...google pays Orical xxxmillion dollars. Everything is wonderful again.
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Eraser
Cool #9
Cool #9
Joined: 01 Dec 2000
Posts: 44149
PostPosted: 08-20-2010 06:55 AM           Profile   Send private message  E-mail  Edit post Reply with quote


Don Carlos wrote:
Cash agreement...google pays Orical xxxmillion dollars. Everything is wonderful again.


First part: Yes. It will probably end up in a settlement between Google and Oracle.
Second part (the "everything is wonderful" bit): No. If a court doesn't make a judgement on this, then we're missing out on a lot. If a judge would rule in favor of Google, then that could have quite some ramifications for the whole basis of software patents. It would actually be a good thing for this to happen.

Besides that the article does a good job of describing what might be in it for Oracle as well, and it might be more than just money. Right now Java ME (the micro edition of Java, used for mobile app development) is starting to slide off an increasingly slipperly slope where it's starting to become an old relic that no one is really interested in anymore. Development on Java and especially Java ME has been somewhat neglected for quite some time now and that's holding the platform back mostly in the mobile segment.

What Google now has done is create a (mobile) Java-like environment free of the shackles Sun/Oracle has put around Java (ME). It's like every FOSS Java developer's wet dream. Oracle wants a piece of that and if not, they'd rather see it crash and burn than let Google have it.

So you see that a court ruling could have quite a few implications here. Most of the time these kinds of huge court battles take a very long time and money and thus a settlement is the easiest way out, but if Google is sure of itself they might just take it to the end and the outcome will be very, very interesting.
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obsidian
I'm the dude!
I'm the dude!
Joined: 04 Feb 2002
Posts: 12498
PostPosted: 08-20-2010 07:12 AM           Profile Send private message  E-mail  Edit post Reply with quote


I think I'm going to go apply for a patent on binary numbers and then sue everyone for patent infringement.



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^misantropia^
Mentor
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Joined: 12 Mar 2005
Posts: 3958
PostPosted: 08-20-2010 07:23 AM           Profile Send private message  E-mail  Edit post Reply with quote


I was going to file a patent trolling patent but someone beat me to it. :(
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GONNAFISTYA
Glayven?
Glayven?
Joined: 23 Jan 2005
Posts: 13025
PostPosted: 08-20-2010 07:56 AM           Profile Send private message  E-mail  Edit post Reply with quote


lol...corporations spend half their time suing or being sued over some copyright/patent bullshit. It is literally a never-ending game of litigation.

Nothing to see here.
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^misantropia^
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PostPosted: 08-20-2010 11:13 AM           Profile Send private message  E-mail  Edit post Reply with quote


A juicy detail here is that Oracle in the past has argued strongly against software patents. That is, until they acquired Sun's patent portfolio.
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Tsakali
opa!
opa!
Joined: 02 Mar 2000
Posts: 14658
PostPosted: 08-20-2010 03:46 PM           Profile Send private message  E-mail  Edit post Reply with quote


GONNAFISTYA wrote:
lol...corporations spend half their time suing or being sued over some copyright/patent bullshit. It is literally a never-ending game of litigation.

Nothing to see here.

I was about to post something similar. All these corps. need is someone's work to ride on, and they can probably be more profitable figuring out ways to sue others than to actually produce products.. gg system.
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