Oracle to stop Android
Apparently Apple is not the only company interested in stopping the ranging Android. Last week Oracle files a lawsuit Google, claiming that Android infringed on “Java- related intellectual property. Oracle became the owner of the Java platform after acquiring Sun Microsystems last year.
In addition to patent violations, Oracle is also claiming copyright infringement; Java’s code is copyrighted, and Oracle believes Google has used it without any kind of license.
And remember that Android is open-source software and that a lot of manufacturers and developers are involved in making the Android platform what it is. The kicker in this lawsuit is Oracle’s assertion that Google has “induced, caused and materially contributed to the infringing acts of others by encouraging… others to use, copy and distribute” what could be called derivative works.
In addition to requesting monetary compensation, Oracle is also asking that all copies of Java-related work be “impounded and destroyed or otherwise reasonably disposed of.” Does this mean Oracle wants to bring a complete end to Android as it stands if, in fact, the OS uses Java code?
Google Answered
“We are disappointed Oracle has chosen to attack both Googleand the open-source Java community with this baseless lawsuit,” Google said in a statement sent to Mashable. “The open-source Java community goes beyond any one corporation and works every day to make the web a better place. We will strongly defend open-source standards and will continue to work with the industry to develop the Android platform.”
This is another funny development in the history of Android OS. Why now, a few weeks after Android phones topped 200k sales per day? While it is true that Java is now the property of Oracle, many great OS are built on Java, is Oracle going to start suing everyone that has Java base OS or Android is just getting picked on because of its success?
[Via Mashable]
Read Oracle’s Complaint Document : Oracle’s complaint against Google for Java patent infringement
