Oracle vs. Google Lawsuit (Android and Java) - Research Paper Example

Google’s Android infringes Oracle America’s copyrights in Java and Google is not licensed to do so. The seven patented technologies in question are: 6,125,447 (Protection Domains To Provide Security in a Computer System); 6, 192,476 (Controlling Access to Resource); 5,966,702 (Method and Apparatus for Preloading of Classes Through Memory Space Cloning of a Master Runtime System Process; RE38,104 (Method And Apparatus For Resolving Data References In Generate Code - A reissued patent; the original number was 5,367,685); 6,910,205 (Interpreting Functions Utilizing A Hybrid Of Virtual And Native Machine Instructions); and, 6,061,520 (Method And System for Performing Static Initialization) (EndSoft Patents 2012).

The Java technology was developed by Sun Microsystems now called Oracle America, after its acquisition by Oracle. The deal, valued at $7.4 billion, strengthened Oracle’s objective to out-consolidate its rivals, which was already buoyed by previous acquisition of several large companies (Shankland 2010). Because of this, Oracle became a hardware company as well, with an integrated product being pitched to the customers as a combination of hardware and software solution. Android is a Google product, developed in its move to expand in the mobile computing market.

It was originally created by Android Inc., which Google bought in 2005. Today, Android is being maintained and developed by the Open Handset Alliance, which is a consortium of 86 hardware, software and telecommunications organizations led by Google. Legal Issues Oracle’s claims of code infringement had been modified in October 2010, which further specified its complaint against Android. In its amended claim filed before the court, Oracle alleged that Google flagship operating system is using or copying Java technologies in its class libraries and documentation, further stressing that approximately one-third of Android’s API packages are “derivative” of the Java API packages, including examples of code that aim to prove its point (Lopez-Tarruella, 2012, 279).

For Google’s alleged copyright and patent infringement, Oracle originally asked for over $2.4 billion in order to compensate for the damages, which, of course, Google countered as inflated (Latif 2012). Oracle has revised this figure as it amended its complaints several times. Today, it stands at $168 million. Google still think the figures as baseless. In a legal strategy designed to fend off attacks or at least protect its Android ecosystem from lawsuits such as that lodged by Oracle, Google has acquired Motorola Mobility its trove of patented mobile and computing technologies, in addition to the thousands acquired from IBP Patents.

The rationale for this move is simple. With a comprehensive range of important mobile and future mobile technologies, Google is in a better position to protect the companies that use Android because it could threaten Oracle with counter license suits. Also, Google could refuse to license technologies to companies such as Microsoft, Nokia and perhaps Oracle if it starts its own mobile computing program in the future. Finally, Google – through its newly acquired patents - could enter into cross-licensing deals with these companies in exchange for dropping the lawsuits or being amenable