Google-Oracle Case Goes to Trial
Google and Oracle will go to trial on April 16, a potentially landmark patent case in the wider legal battle against Android.
What’s Happening
Oracle and Google will be ready to argue their cases in a San Francisco federal court on April 16, according to U.S. District Court judge William Alsup’s ruling yesterday. The trial will last approximately eight weeks.
The trial will be the culmination of a two-year legal saga between the two tech giants. Oracle sued Google in 2010 over Android’s alleged violations of Java patents owned by Oracle. The San Jose-based company sought damages from Google for $6.1 billion, later dropping its claim to $2.6 billion. Google denied claims and fought to have the suit thrown out.
In the two years since, Google and Oracle have wrangled over evidence, witnesses and court-ordered mediation over coming to a settlement. However, both companies failed to come to an accord over the matter, mostly likely over the amount of damages Google would pay over its use of Java patents in its OS.
What’s Really Happening
The case is notable for two major reasons. In a legal landscape where patent litigation flourishes against Android phone makers, the Oracle suit is one in which Android itself is on trial, front and center. The amount of damages being sought by Oracle also raises eyebrows, and is one of the principal terms of disagreement between the two parties in the case.
The case has proceeded to trial, to many analysts’ surprise, but as one of the few major suits directly targeting Google and Android — and with a large amount of money at stake — both Oracle and Google likely understand it will eke out key legal territory for Android patent suits to come.
What’s Next
Putting Android on trial will likely yield a number of revelations about Android development and Google’s inner workings. Getting that information on public record could prove damaging to Google’s long-term competitiveness and perhaps fuel other lawsuits in the future. Lawyers will likely comb through Android code in search for Java patent violations, and a few damaging revelations have already come to light by Android’s own engineers during the course of pre-trial.
A set date could hasten a last-minute settlement between the companies in order to avoid a long, costly trial, but with both sides still unwilling to come to terms over a settlement amount, a deal is unlikely.
Both sides understand this is a potential bellwether case, however. Oracle’s amount of requested damages could indicate its faith in its patents under the lens of the law, and a settlement on Google’s part may come down to what it’s willing to risk. It knows its Android OS is under fire on all sides, both directly and indirectly, and keeping a landmark case from proceeding could be in its best interest. However, the billions Oracle is demanding could be too bitter of a pill for it to swallow.
The Takeaway
Google long alleges that its Android OS is the target of a “battle by proxy,” and Google chief legal officer David Drummond argued last year that its competitors are waging a “hostile, organized campaign against Android” through “bogus patents.” Oracle’s patents, however, may not be so bogus. Its suit is a direct attack on Android, and legal and industry watchers will be paying very close attention to the outcome, which may decide exactly how much Android violates patents — and how much companies can wring from the search giant in terms of settlement and licensing.
