Oracle to sue Google over Android

[James]

Google's Android mobile platform infringes the patent on Java software, according to Oracle. Photograph: Robert Galbraith /Reuters
Software company Oracle has filed a lawsuit against Google, accusing the search giant of patent infringement with the Android mobile operating system.

The legal complaint, filed in California, concerns Oracle's Java software, which it acquired through the purchase of Sun Microsystems earlier this year.

In a press statement, Oracle spokeswoman Karen Tillman said: "In developing Android, Google knowingly, directly and repeatedly infringed Oracle's Java-related intellectual property.

"This lawsuit seeks appropriate remedies for their infringement."

A Google spokesman said he could not comment on the lawsuit as the company had not had a chance to review it yet.

Google's Android platform has enjoyed a rapid ascent in the smartphone market due to the multiplicity of devices now running it. Figures released yesterday by analyst Gartner show Android is now the leading smartphone platform in the US, overtaking BlackBerry manufacturer Research in Motion.

In the months leading up to Android's release, industry insiders speculated about its possible effect on the Java programming language.

Now Oracle is said to be seeking an injunction to stop Google from further building and distributing Android, plus higher monetary damages for willful and deliberate infringement.

Basically what it boils down to is Google have re-written the engine for Java. As they did not use the Sun system and developed their own they are infringing on patents. I really don't like the fact that this could lead to a court order to cease all development on Android!!!!

 

[hof]

Bad news. Not a great first move to win over the hearts and minds of Java developers, who were already tentative over Oracle's acquisition of Sun. That being said, Google certainly would've seen this coming. Rewriting the GPL'ed VM and re-releasing it under an Apache license? Blatent patent infringements? Come on...

 

[kvi]

no ways dont stress.. everyone just wants a piece of that android success pie... more than likely google will just have to pay a licensing fee... without doubt they been expecting this.
there is probably another 30 infringement cases they probably waiting for too.

 

[GingerBeer]

no ways dont stress.. everyone just wants a piece of that android success pie... more than likely google will just have to pay a licensing fee... without doubt they been expecting this.
there is probably another 30 infringement cases they probably waiting for too.

It's quite common for one company
to wait for another to become
successful before suing.

That gives them better leverage
to claim damages.

It also takes time to put together
evidence about what bits of code
were copied.

It sounds like Android were just too
lazy to write their own stuff.

Oracle goes on to say that Google
knew of Sun’s patents since 2005
or so and the search giant hired a
bevy of Sun engineers.

We are surprised that Oracle and
Google couldn’t reach a deal on
what appears to be a straightforward
licensing agreement. We believe
Oracle is justified in defending its
patent portfolio but suspect that its
negotiating tactics were more aggressive
than Google cared for. While the names
involved in the lawsuit are high profile,
we suspect the amount of money at risk
for either side, win or lose, is immaterial.
We are not inclined to make this seemingly
minor patent dispute a bigger issue.