Google’s use of Java APIs to develop Android went too far and was a violation of Oracle’s copyrights, according to a ruling by the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, reports Bloomberg. The case, first filed in 2010 by Oracle, was remanded to a federal court in California to determine how much Google should pay. Oracle had been seeking USD 8.8 billion.
The long-running dispute has been seen as key to determining copyright in the software industry. Companies such as Google have claimed their use of programmes for development falls under the 'fair use' exception in copyright law. Oracle said its APIs are freely available to those who want to build applications for computers and mobile devices, but draws the line at anyone who wants to use them for a competing platform or to embed them in an electronic device.
The court said it did not matter that Android is free of charge. It found that Android had generated more than USD 42 billion in revenue from advertising. It also said that Google had not made any alteration of the copyrighted material.
Google said it was disappointed by the court ruling, which reversed an earlier jury decision in support of the company. "This type of ruling will make apps and online services more expensive for users," the company said.
Google is likely to ask that either the three-judge panel reconsider its decision, or have the issue go before all active judges of the court. The losing party could then ask the Supreme Court to take the case, which Google supporters are calling for.
