The world is safe for developers who use Java interfaces in designing Android smartphones. US District Judge William Alsup today shot down Oracle’s last hope of obtaining a $1 billion verdict from Google in what the judge himself described as “the World Series” of intellectual trials.
The ruling is the third major setback for Oracle after a jury last week found Google had not infringed its patents and, earlier on, the same jury failed to find liability for copyright infringement.
In the bigger picture, the case is a strategic defeat for Oracle which is trying to supplement its revenue stream by making aggressive legal demands based on its patent and copyright portfolio. Google and developers have argued that strapping copyright onto basic functions like user interfaces will stifle developers’ ability to innovate.
“The court’s decision upholds the principle that open and interoperable computer languages form an essential basis for software development. It’s a good day for collaboration and innovation,” said a Google spokesman in an emailed statement.
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