Google Inc. Infringed Some Of Oracle Corporation's Copyrights On The Java Programming Language-Jury-Reuters

Reuters reported that Google Inc. infringed some of Oracle Corp's copyrights on the Java programming language, a U.S. jury found on Monday after days of deliberation. The fair use question is crucial to determining damages. If Google's use of the Java programming tools is determined to be fair, the company would not be liable for damages in connection with some of Oracle's copyrights. The partial verdict in the lawsuit, which focuses on Google's development of the Android mobile operating system, was read in a San Francisco federal courtroom. The lawsuit, brought in August 2010, now moves on to the next phase: patent claims. A third phase of the trial would decide damages. After Monday's verdict, Google's lawyers challenged the key jury finding on Java copyrights and moved for a mistrial. Google says it does not violate Oracle's patents and that Oracle cannot copyright certain parts of Java, an "open-source," or publicly available, software language. The main questions in the case revolve around Google's use of APIs-application programming interfaces-or a set of tools through which developers utilize the Java software language, and whether they can be copyrighted like software code. The trial, which began in mid-April before U.S. District Judge William Alsup, is expected to last at least eight weeks. The case in U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, is Oracle America, Inc v. Google Inc, 10-3561.