The U.S. Supreme Court is currently deciding whether or not it will hear the Oracle v. Google patent case. The lawsuit, filed back in 2011, hinges on whether or not Oracle’s Java APIs are protected by copyright law. Software developers have been closely watching the case as it could have widespread implications for the industry.
In 2012, a lower court found primarily in Google’s favor, but an appeals court overturned that ruling, siding with Oracle. Google has appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that the appellate court’s decision allows “copyright monopolies over the basic building blocks of computer design and programming.”
The Supreme Court is due to decide whether or not to take the case on November 7.