A case that could turn software industry on its head
The legal showdown between Silicon Valley giants Oracle and [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] could test the very boundaries of copyright protections for software and rewrite the rules for much of the industry.
In a case unfolding in [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], Oracle alleges that Google violated its intellectual property in developing the popular Android smart phone. Specifically, it claims the Mountain View search company used 37 "application programming interface packages," or APIs, for the Java programming language without paying licensing fees.
Many observers think that if the court decides in [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], it will raise the cost of Android software for handset makers and consumers, as Google would be forced to [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] spend more money on a product that it gives away for free. Moreover, some worry it could substantially increase the cost, hassle and legal risks surrounding software development in general."Should Oracle be able to convince the court (that the APIs) are fully protected by copyright and were substantially copied by Google, that could potentially turn the industry on its head," said Mark Webbink, executive director of the Center for Patent Innovations at New York Law School, in an e-mail interview. "If Oracle succeeds, it could potentially invite numerous other copyright infringement suits in the software industry with nonproductive results."
The legal showdown between Silicon Valley giants Oracle and [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] could test the very boundaries of copyright protections for software and rewrite the rules for much of the industry.
In a case unfolding in [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], Oracle alleges that Google violated its intellectual property in developing the popular Android smart phone. Specifically, it claims the Mountain View search company used 37 "application programming interface packages," or APIs, for the Java programming language without paying licensing fees.
Many observers think that if the court decides in [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], it will raise the cost of Android software for handset makers and consumers, as Google would be forced to [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] spend more money on a product that it gives away for free. Moreover, some worry it could substantially increase the cost, hassle and legal risks surrounding software development in general."Should Oracle be able to convince the court (that the APIs) are fully protected by copyright and were substantially copied by Google, that could potentially turn the industry on its head," said Mark Webbink, executive director of the Center for Patent Innovations at New York Law School, in an e-mail interview. "If Oracle succeeds, it could potentially invite numerous other copyright infringement suits in the software industry with nonproductive results."