Google Sued over Android
Cited: Reuters
An Oracle spokeswoman, Karen Tillman, said in a statement on August 12 that it is suing Google Inc. for alleged patent and copyright infringement in the development of the popular Android Smartphone software. Oracle claims that Google “knowingly, directly and repeatedly infringed on Oracle’s Java related intellectual property” when developing Android. She further stated, “This lawsuit seeks appropriate remedies jury”
Oracle acquired Java through its $5.6 billion purchase of Sun Microsystems earlier this year. Analysts said the suit against Google could signal that Oracle intends to be more aggressive in seeking licensees for Java, a technology that is used in many types of Internet-based products.
Oracle Chief Executive Larry Ellison has said he views the Java software as a key asset, pointing to its use in a variety of electronic devices, from PCs to DVD players.
Oracle, which makes database software and other technology, acquired the Java computer programming language and related technology when it bought Sun Microsystems. A deal that closed in January.
“Sun’s corporate philosophy was obviously very different from Oracle’s in terms of enforcing the Java patents,” said Edward Reines, an IP litigator at Weil Gotshall who is involved in separate patent litigation against Oracle.
A Google spokesman said he could not comment on the lawsuit as the company had not had a chance to review it yet.
Analysts say Google’s Android operating system uses portions of Java technology.
About 200,000 smartphones and other devices based on the Android operating system are sold each day, Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt said at an August 4 conference.
Java can be used as a platform for building applications for computers, websites and smart phones and other mobile devices.
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In its complaint, filed with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Oracle said Google’s Android operating system software consists of Java applications and other technology. As such, it infringes on one or more parts of seven different patents – something Google should know, Oracle argues, because it has hired former Sun Java engineers in recent years.
Oracle also said Google’s Android also infringes on Oracle’s copyrights in Java.
Google says about 200,000 Android-powered phones are being sold each day.
Oracle is seeking an injunction to stop Google from further building and distributing Android, plus higher monetary damages for willful and deliberate infringement.
The case is Oracle of America Inc v Google Inc, in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
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My Take: Well, it looks like Google did a big boo-boo, at least on the surface anyway. Maybe they should’ve gotten some software consulting before they did anything. I know that they were smart enough to do a software test before doing anything else, why didn’t they do some consulting as well? Or at least they should check on the legalities of using that software.
I doubt that Google will disappear because of this. If they did a lot of SEO services would have problems because they rely on Google analytics to get their clients on page 1. Of course, they do use the other search engines that are available on the Internet as well. Even the best SEO services knows that Google is not the only search engine to work with, but it is one of the better search engines.
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