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Oracle Wins Revival of Billion-Dollar Case Against Google

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191–200 of 643 posts

Re: Oracle Wins Revival of Billion-Dollar Case Against Google

#191

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And yet Oracle ships an S3 compatibility API: https://docs.us-phoenix-1.oraclecloud.com/Content/Object/Tas...

Does anyone actually use the Oracle Cloud? From my attempts, it's only full of misery and broken tech.

So you're saying it's an Oracle product?

Re: Oracle Wins Revival of Billion-Dollar Case Against Google

#192
> Part of Google’s defense focused on the idea that Java was developed for desktop computers, while Android was created for phones and other mobile devices.

Is this really the best defense? The tag line is "write once, run anywhere" after all. I remember back in my CS days (mid/late 90s) when Java was first being pushed at my uni, the overly-enthusiastic vibe even back then was that Java would eventually be found everywhere, even in mundane devices like toasters and coffee machines.

Re: Oracle Wins Revival of Billion-Dollar Case Against Google

#193
post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't get why it's a scary issue or even controversial why an API would be subject copyright. An API, in my mind, is similar to design drawings or blueprints. Independently figuring out how to implement those drawings doesn't change the fact that you copied the design.

To me it's more like copyrighting the standard height of a door.

It's more analogous to -- very analogous to -- the "clean room" BIOS clones that enabled the PC Clone industry to take off (and made IBM-compatible PCs actually affordable; before the clones took off, IBM's prices made Apple seem like a bargain).

Re: Oracle Wins Revival of Billion-Dollar Case Against Google

#194
post #19

Google shoulda thought twice before stealing Sun/Oracle's IP.

Yeah, “stealing” an API and open source, building a successful mobile UI platform (unlike personal/embedded java and Sun’s own failed attempts at fragmentation) and contributing it free back to open source where it has been used as a base OS for thousands of new products from TVs to drones.

You mean the platform where one of only very, very few conditions on it's use was to make sure that your implementation was compatible with others?

Re: Oracle Wins Revival of Billion-Dollar Case Against Google

#195

So what now? An appeal of the appeal? This is the legal drama that never stops giving...

There are two next steps. One step is a retrial in the lower court, with fair use no longer a defense. The other is an appeal to the Supreme Court on whether an API can in fact be copyrighted.

If the Supreme Court appeal happens, it probably puts the lower court trial on hold. If Google wins the appeal, then (I think) there's no case left to try in the lower court.

Re: Oracle Wins Revival of Billion-Dollar Case Against Google

#196
post #131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Mobile Telecoms standards are written by 3GPP, all BTSs and handsets (and for that matter, interfaces like 'A') are standard, and controlled by 3GPP. I believe they are open.

Not they belong to the companies and some of them are available under FRAND licensing. For the rest there is the 3GPP patent platform.

I'd say it's patent law, not copyright law, that make the licences possible to enforce.

Most of the patents are the result of a lot of research and cleverness. Some of the patents are the equivalent of looking in another drawer if the first one did not contain what you are looking in.

It's a bit arbitrary that an API isn't protected when some bullshit patents are. There is clearly much thought in some of the java APIs.

I'd like to see shorter protection time for patents thought, especially in areas where there are very low investment costs, like software development.

Re: Oracle Wins Revival of Billion-Dollar Case Against Google

#197

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How so?

Just to give examples that look plausible to me: Because of the legal burden Google decided to implement their own version of the Java standard library based on Apache Harmony. With every new version of Java coming there might be new legal pitfalls to consider and surely almost always the sword of Damocles that Oracle might consider the fact that Google implemented new Java features as a reason to extort more money f…

But they’ve already went and switched to OpenJDK.

Apparently the risk was not so large they couldn’t do it if they’ve decided to now

Re: Oracle Wins Revival of Billion-Dollar Case Against Google

#198
post #4

Does oracle have a case or not? If you were Oracle, would you be ok not taking this to court?

In this field "having a case" depends not so much on objective truth but on subjective narrative, having enough money to pay more lawyers for a longer time than the opponent, finding the right judge, making sure the jury is stuffed according to plan and more of such skullduggery. If it were about objective facts the case would have been over and done with in a month with a definite conclusion, either it being OK to u…

The question here is not so much one of fact, but one of law. And stuffing the jury isn't an issue with the appeals court.

Re: Oracle Wins Revival of Billion-Dollar Case Against Google

#199
post #184

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To me it's more like copyrighting the standard height of a door.

The Java API is hundreds of classes and thousands of methods. It is far beyond something as simple as the height of a door.

I don't see how the size of the spec has anything to do with it. It could be the standard height of doors or the standard interface/protocol between every sensor and smart component in a smart home.

What if I create my own smart home server that can be a drop in replacement for some commercial product using just what I've gather from their public API? Is that infringement, when the underlying implementation is entirely my own?

Re: Oracle Wins Revival of Billion-Dollar Case Against Google

#200
post #175

It may be helpful for readers to look at the actual meat and potatoes of the decision itself. I recommend jumping in at Page 27 of the decision so that they can see how the fair use factors were evaluated in this case: http://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/opinions-or... Fair use has four factors, lets see how it shook out: 1) Purpose and Character: Google tried to argue that because android is free that i…

What exactly was 'copied' by Google? Was it actual code directly copied or just the general design / APIs that were mirrored by their Android Java playform?
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