Linked by Thom Holwerda on Thu 31st May 2012 21:41 UTC
And thus, it ends. Despite a never-ending stream of doom and gloom from Oracle/Microsoft-funded 'pundits' regarding Google and Android (six hundred billion trillion gazillion eurodollars in damages!!1!), judge Alsup has just squashed all of Oracle's chances with a ruling that is good news for those of us who truly care about this wonderful industry: APIs are not copyrightable. Alsup: "To accept Oracle's claim would be to allow anyone to copyright one version of code to carry out a system of commands and thereby bar all others from writing their own different versions to carry out all or part of the same commands. No holding has ever endorsed such a sweeping proposition." Supreme Court, Ellison?
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RE: Win Win Situation for Oracle
by JAlexoid on Fri 1st Jun 2012 01:15
in reply to "Win Win Situation for Oracle"
Member since:2009-05-19
Just from what I read in the blurb, the decision could easily be overturned on appeal.
This sounds like our "friend" at "FOSS"Patents would say. You sure, you aren't him?
Either way Oracle wins from this.
How? Oracle downed a lot of money against a company that fought an incredible battle. Invalidating patents(ridiculously hard thing to do) and dodging the other claims.
Features
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2012-03-29
Based solely on the words in this news blurb, I'm not certain I agree with Judge Alsup's analysis. The quote almost sounds like Alsup is mixing some patent analysis into copyright analysis. Judge Alsup is too smart to make that kind of mistake, so the whole opinion must explain it better. Just from what I read in the blurb, the decision could easily be overturned on appeal.
Either way Oracle wins from this. Either they get their copyright, for whatever that is worth, or they get a clear statement of law that says others cannot impose copyright restrictions on their APIs against Oracle. If I was Oracle, I would push this all the way. They have already paid for the expensive part of the litigation, may as well get the strongest legal statement possible.