Oracle taking Google to court over Java patents

Oracle has filed a lawsuit against Google, claiming that the Android operating system infringes on its own software patents.  Oracle spokeswoman Karen Tillman says in an official statement, "In developing Android, Google knowingly, directly and repeatedly infringed Oracle's Java-related intellectual property. This lawsuit seeks appropriate remedies for their infringement."  Google has issued no statement, saying that they had not yet been served.

And I say, in a very unofficial statement, "A large portion of Java is covered under the GPLv2, and it's very likely that the Dalvik virtual machine was built from the ground up using none of Sun's existing technology."  This will probably turn out to be just another drawn-out court battle, with no clear winner, and lots of money being spent on both sides.  We will just have to wait to see what a judge or other elected official has to say on the matter.  Google must be doing something right with Android -- it certainly has become a popular target.  I'm certainly not a lawyer, and never even played one on TV, but for those who are, the complaint is after the break.  [AP via MSNBC]

Oracle Google Complaint

Jerry Hildenbrand
Senior Editor — Google Ecosystem

Jerry is an amateur woodworker and struggling shade tree mechanic. There's nothing he can't take apart, but many things he can't reassemble. You'll find him writing and speaking his loud opinion on Android Central and occasionally on Twitter.