NewsGoogle Triumphs in Android Copyright Battle

Google Triumphs in Android Copyright Battle

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A federal jury has determined that Google’s use of Java APIs in Android counts as “fair use,” and Google does not owe Oracle any damages.

This was the second trial in the copyright case which dragged on for more than six years. In the original case, the appeals court ruled that the APIs were copyrightable. This retrial covered the question of whether the use of those copyrighted APIs constituted fair use. Oracle was asking for $9 billion in damages.

Industry observers say that the ruling is good for the mobile development industry. Developers routinely reuse API code, a practice that would have been threatened had the decision gone the other way.

However, the lawsuit isn’t completely over as Oracle still has the right to appeal the verdict.

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