This Tech Throwdown segment has been one of the most exciting Throwdowns we’ve done. Two tech heavyweights squaring off in federal court in San Francisco with both CEOs taking the stand to tell their side of the story. At stake are billions of dollars in damages and licensing fees. Round One went to Oracle, as Google was found guilty of copyright infringement (see Tech Throwdown segment: http://joesesso.com/?p=912 ), but it lacked the teeth that the company wanted to enforce fees. Round Two went to Google in a near-devastating blow to Oracle’s case.
Larry Page is all Smiles After Beating Oracle in Court
Google was found unanimously “not guilty” of patent infringement last week. This was in reference to Oracle’s claim that Google was using the Java software in it’s Android operating system without proper licensing. The verdict was part two of a three part case. Part one was won by Oracle in a non-unanimous verdict saying that Google was guilty of copyright infringement. The judge, however, stepped in and said that Oracle could not go after monetary damages until the entire case was settled. The latest victory by Google all but assures that there will be very little, if any, damages or fees that Google has to pay Oracle for using Java.
There is still one more part to go in this saga – the sentencing phase. Don’t expect any surprises. Google will probably walk away unscathed. The question is, “what will happen moving forward between the two companies?” Will Google have to pay licensing fees to Oracle? Will Oracle pull its product from Android systems? We will have to wait and see.
