Google Beats Oracle in the Android Lawsuit
Juries decides Google’s use of Java APIs Was Fair Use
A jury unanimously found that Google did not violate Oracle’s copyright in its Android Operating system. The jury found that, while Google did use Oracle’s Java APIs, they were used under fair use doctrine, which means Google didn’t need Oracle’s permission. As a result, Oracle is not entitled to any damages. The decision brings another end to the $9 billion lawsuit Oracle filed against Google. Oracle is likely to appeal, but once a jury decides on the facts, an appeals court has limited options for overturning the decision.
The courtroom battle between Google and Oracle has gone on for several years. Google achieved an earlier victory when Judge William Alsup decided the API was not copyrightable, but Oracle went to the Federal Circuit court, which decided that APIs are subject to copyright. The case then went back to a lower court to decide whether Google’s use of the APIs was fair.
Although Google has won this particular case, it’s not a victory for developers. EFF’s Parker Higgins wrote in a blog post, “While developers of interoperable software can take some comfort in the fact that reimplementation may be fair use, a simpler and fairer solution would simply have been to recognize API labels as a system or method of operation not restricted by copyright.”
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
TUXEDO has unveiled a new InfinityBook Pro with an AMD Ryzen AI 300
This new notebook offers serious power that is ready for your business, development, or entertainment needs.
-
Is This the Year of Linux?
Another major organization has decided to kick Windows and Office to the curb, in favor of Linux.
-
Linux Mint 20 Reaches EOL
With Linux Mint 20 at its end of life, the time has arrived to upgrade to Linux Mint 22.
-
TuxCare Announces Support for AlmaLinux 9.2
Thanks to TuxCare, AlmaLinux 9.2 (and soon version 9.6) now enjoys years of ongoing patching and compliance.
-
Go-Based Botnet Attacking IoT Devices
Using an SSH credential brute-force attack, the Go-based PumaBot is exploiting IoT devices everywhere.
-
Plasma 6.5 Promises Better Memory Optimization
With the stable Plasma 6.4 on the horizon, KDE has a few new tricks up its sleeve for Plasma 6.5.
-
KaOS 2025.05 Officially Qt5 Free
If you're a fan of independent Linux distributions, the team behind KaOS is proud to announce the latest iteration that includes kernel 6.14 and KDE's Plasma 6.3.5.
-
Linux Kernel 6.15 Now Available
The latest Linux kernel is now available with several new features/improvements and the usual bug fixes.
-
Microsoft Makes Surprising WSL Announcement
In a move that might surprise some users, Microsoft has made Windows Subsystem for Linux open source.
-
Red Hat Releases RHEL 10 Early
Red Hat quietly rolled out the official release of RHEL 10.0 a bit early.