Oracle suing Google over Android

[Tom]

I heard this a few days ago on a TWIT podcast...

Oracle previously acquired Sun Microsystems, developers of the Java language, and now appears ready to go after the open source community for IP infringement and unlicensed use of Java. Their first target appears to Google's Android OS. Read more here (lots of other articles can be found via Google).

 

[Ned]

That's been all over the tech news sites for the past week or so.  Oracle is trying to kill open source.  OpenOffice will probably be the next to go, then MySQL (all Sun products now).

 

[Tom]

Aye Ned, I've been somewhat out of the loop recently. Nearly jumped out of my chair when I listened to Leo Laporte's weekly podcast a few days ago. Hard to tell how far this will go, but it doesn't bode well for OS.

I vaguely recall that Sun previously "donated" Open Office to the OS community. Not sure how that works when it comes to IP infringement suits. OTOH I expect that Oracle will go after the deep pockets before FOSS projects.

 

[Ned]

Going after Java developers is a pretty big front on which to start a war.  It's a sure way to kill all Java development as projects move to other alternatives.  Then Oracle is left with no royalty income at all.  Of course, Larry Ellison has shot himself in the foot before, sometimes when it was in his mouth

As for MySQL, remember that Oracle is first and foremost a SQL company.  It's rather obvious why they acquired MySQL, it's a free competitor to their own products.  They can turn the code over to the community but without support from them, how long do you think it will last?  And how long before the patent infringement suits start?  This does not bode well for open source at all unless it's nipped in the bud.

 

[Tom]

[quote author=Ned]As for MySQL, remember that Oracle is first and foremost a SQL company.[/quote]

Good point Ned.

 

[Larry N.]

If you want to actually follow the latest developments in this case (along with some other FOSS legal issues, such as SCO), then visit Groklaw, a "blog" site run by a paralegal.

 

[Ned]

I get the Groklaw RSS feed every morning.  PJ does a good job of summarizing the important points without prejudice.

 

[Tom]

Thanks for the link Larry.

 

[leon17]

great link thanks
its really interesting to find out whats going on

 

[Ned]

It's somewhat reminiscent of watching elephants dance from the perspective of a mouse   It's a serious indictment of our software patent system, badly broken and in need of a major rewrite (or invalidation) by the courts.

 

[Larry N.]

It is, indeed -- most software patents are trivial or obvious "to one skilled in the art." If this goes on, it won't be too long before few can "legally" write software.

 

[Ned]

Larry, it's already at that point.  Just about any line of code you write today could be construed as a patent infringement of someone's silly patent.  The TPO long ago forgot about the prior art consideration or the obvious clause.  They are staffed with people that want to see moving parts and don't understand software at all.  The patent laws haven't been updated to catch up to the technology and it's easier to grant a patent than it is for the examiner to do his job and research it.

The only reason small developers like myself aren't sued is because our pockets aren't very deep.

 

[SCVJeff]

This just in: Google buys Oracle, turns upper management Soilent Green and sells it to PetCo...