Trouble has set camp in Mountain View as Oracle tightens its demands, asking that Google should pay up to a tune of $9.3 billion in compensation with respect to Java programming language.
In the long-running lawsuit regarding Java copyrights, Oracle is holding up for more money from the search engine giant as it seeks compensation for damages caused by Google. The case first appeared in court back in 2012 but since then, no settlement has been reached, until now that Oracle wants this massive compensation for Google’s use of Java on Android.
According to Oracle, the compensation should come in two packages – one of $475 million with respect to damages incurred by Oracle and another package of $8.8 billion that is related to the profits made by Google from using the Java APIs.
Oracle has been of the view that Google has been violating software copyrights laws by improperly making use of Java application programming interfaces (API) when coming up with its Android operating system. In its view, Oracle believes that in order for Google to come in and start using the Java APIs, it should have first of all paid; something the Android OS maker hasn’t done at all.
Java is a product of Sun Microsystems; however, since Oracle acquired this company back in 2010, it is obvious that the programming language now belongs to Oracle.
Case still in court
The fact that Oracle wants $9.3 billion from Google in damages doesn’t mean the case is settled. In fact, this case is far from being over as Google moved in to blast the financial reports.
Still, Android maker is adamant that it has not done any wrong regarding the use of the same “structure, sequence as well as organization” in about 37 Java APIs on the Android OS, adding that its usage of the software is covered under fair use that lets developers copy but in limited cases. However, Oracle believes that the rush that Google had in rolling out its Android OS was the main reason why it went for the Java APIs that almost every developer is familiar with.
The case is not yet over as the two – Google and Oracle – are expected to be back in the court on April 27.