Oracle to Face Google in Android Operating System Trial

It seems that Oracle is claiming that Google used parts of it's Java language to create the popular Android operating system for smart phones without proper licensing.

Oracle, the largest maker of database software, is seeking $1 billion in damages and an injunction to block Google from distributing Android, now running on more than 150 million devices, unless it takes a license.

link

court document (pdf)

Google claims that they only used parts that are freely available for use.

Sun freely distributed the Java programming language, which has been used to create thousands of programs and applications by independent developers and giant tech companies like Oracle and IBM. But Sun required users to obtain a license for using the Java development tools it created along with the language.

Oracle attorneys contend that the 37 APIs, which would fill 11,000 pages if printed out, are protected by copyright because they are the creative work of Java's original developers, who made deliberate choices to select and arrange the elements of each API.

Google attorneys have argued that unlike complete programs, the APIs are simply building blocks that are comparable to letters or words in a language. In court papers, Google has argued that copyright law protects original works of "creative expression," but not the language or medium used to create those works.

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This could take years to resolve and I'm curious to see how this "clash of the titans" might affect the end users.

reply to post by N3k9Ni


HUH?

Sun freely distributed the Java programming language, which has been used to create thousands of programs and applications by independent developers and giant tech companies like Oracle and IBM. But Sun required users to obtain a license for using the Java development tools it created along with the language.

Most programmers use Zend Eclipse.. at least that's the recommended IDE from Google.
And honestly most hard core guys use notepad... i guess cuz they think it ups their street cred.

I'm not sure what dev tools they are talking about.

reply to post by grey580


It's not an IDE they're talking about. It's API's or Application Programming Interface which are subroutines that can be called to perform specific functions.

API

reply to post by grey580

And honestly most hard core guys use notepad... i guess cuz they think it ups their street cred.

Don't bash notepad users.

Anyway, I think most of the hardcore guys use vi.