Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG), announced that he is tired of repeatedly hearing questions regarding allegations that the company stole the copyright of Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL) in a blog post published on Google+ last Sunday.
Schmidt personally rejected comments by Larry Ellison
Schmidt personally rejected comments by Larry Ellison, CEO of Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL) that Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) stole Oracle’s patent by integrating Java within the Android operating system. He said Ellison’s claim was a lie.
“We typically try to avoid getting dragged into public battles with other companies. But I’ve gotten a lot of questions about Larry Ellison’s claims that Google “took [Oracle’s] stuff”. It’s simply untrue—and that’s not just my opinion, but the judgment of a U.S. District Court,” wrote Schmidt.
Oracle filed a patent infringement case against Google
In 2010, Oracle Corporation (NASDAQ:ORCL) filed a patent infringement case against Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) related to the use of the Java programming language and software within the Android operating system. Oracle alleged that Google is using Java without its proper license and permission. Oracle Corporation acquired control of Java after purchasing Sun Microsystems.
The software giant admitted that it used some parts of Java in the Android operating system, but argued that it is an open source technology or freely available in the market. The jury in the federal court of California ruled that Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) did not violate the Java patents of Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL) when it developed its Android operating system.
Schmidt reiterated the ruling of the court in his blog post. He said, “Here are the facts. In 2012, after Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL) sued Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) for patent and copyright infringement in a case involving Java and Android, a jury found that we had not infringed Oracle’s patents. And the court ruled that copyright could not be used to block others from using the “structure, sequence and organization” of APIs, the language that allows different computer programs and systems to talk to each other. The ruling protects a principle vital to innovation: you cannot copyright an idea, like a method of operation. For example, no one can copyright the idea of adding two numbers together.”
Schmidt also emphasized that patents were designed to encourage invention and not to stop the development of new ideas and technologies. He also pointed out that he knows all the facts because he “was heavily involved at Sun with Java.” He added, “I had the privilege, thanks to Oracle, of testifying in this trial.”
