In Brief: What Google's Big Win Against Oracle Means for Patent Law

The ?World Series of intellectual property cases? is over, and Google emerged with a winning verdict from its lengthy patent showdown with Oracle.

In Brief boils down complex events to give you the heart of the matter ? today and what it means for tomorrow ? clearly and simply.

What?s Happening: The jury in Oracle?s trial against Google found the search giant did not infringe on Google?s patents because it could not decide whether Google?s actions fell under fair use laws.

In 2010, Oracle sued Google for patent infringement on three separate patents. Google admitted it used Oracle?s Java programming language, but insisted with equal vigor that the use fell under fair use laws.

Initially, it looked like Oracle would emerge victorious, as the jury decided earlier that Google had used Java?s patents ? but the jury could not conclude that the company violated fair use laws, so it handed the win to Google.

What?s Really Happening: This case has big implications for the Android platform. Had Oracle proven Google?s Android operating system improperly used Java, Google may have been ordered to dole out royalty payments for years to come.

Now it doesn?t need to make any changes, which is fantastic news for both Google and Android phonemakers like Samsung, as a ruling in favor of Oracle may have led to product bans.

This case was expected to set a benchmark in regards to how much money Google would have had to pony up in the future regarding patent infringement cases. Before the trial, Google offered Oracle $2.8 million in damages up front, with more paid every year. Oracle wanted a bigger check, demanding around $1 billion in copyright damages altogether. With the verdict in, there?s no chance Google will cough up that kind of money any time soon.

What?s Next: Google still may have to pay Oracle some money, depending on the way U.S. District Judge William Alsup rules on one of the last components of the case. But the amount is likely pocket change compared to what was on the table before the verdict.

The case with Google and Oracle was not the only contentious patent battle going on in the tech world, with Google?s rival Apple is suing HTC and Samsung for patent infringement. While the iPhone maker is not suing Google directly, the cases have echoes of similarity: Apple believes Samsung and HTC have infringed on its patents, though it could be argued the phonemakers? adoption of Apple-esque technology falls under fair use.

Oracle confronted Google directly instead of engaging in a proxy war through one of its Android phonemakers, which is how companies generally wage war with Google over Android patents. The fact that Google?s legal team turned the Oracle case around in their its client?s favor demonstrates the legal muscle the search engine giant can flex, and this may scare off potential adversaries from taking Google to court ? including Apple.

The Takeaway: Google?s victory will have major implications for how programming language can be used, and sends the powerful message that the search giant is a formidable legal foe.

This trial also demonstrates the complexities of intellectual property cases, especially since the jury thought Google was wrong for using Java without the proper patents but could not prove it due to the complicated wording of both the patents and the laws.

The jury?s verdict could discourage tech companies from pursuing these kind of suits in the future, since it illustrates how a plaintiff could still lose a case even when the jury sympathized with their plight. Moreover, the foreman noted that Google?s argument that it viewed Java as open source collaborative software swayed some of the tech-savvy jurors, suggesting jurors in the future are likely to pass down similar verdicts.

In Brief: What Google?s Big Win Against Oracle Means for Patent Law originally appeared at Mobiledia on Thu May 24, 2012 12:15 pm.

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