August 13 2010

Android has come under some fire before – mainly from Apple fans. But as far as we know, it’s never come under a lawsuit. Google is being sued because of the open-source mobile operating system. Oracle, the database software giant is suing Google, saying that Android infringes on Java patents and copyrights.

Oracle gained the legal rights to Java when they bought Sun Microsystems last year for $5.6 billion. Java, for those who don’t know, is a popular object-oriented programming language and (in our estimation) one of the more popular ones for desktop OS applications.

When the Wall Street Journal contacted Oracle for further information, they didn’t immediately explain the lawsuit further. We too, would like to know how a mobile operating system infringes on a programming language. I believe Android is programmed in C++ but the generic user interface is programmed in Java.

Oracle said that Google “knowingly, directly and repeatedly” violated patents and copyrights held by Oracle. Oracle wants “appropriate remedies” from Google, which is probably a lot of cash and some sort of licensing agreement. We’ll see what Google does about this.

Retail analysts have found that Android’s market share has been skyrocketing in 2010, and it’s easy to see why with phones like the Droid X and EVO 4G out. At this point, Android is a major business for Google (even if they don’t make any money from the OS directly), so worst-case scenario, expect Google and Oracle to sign some sort of patent licensing agreement. Although they’re practically unknown in the consumer space – Oracle is a giant in the technology industry. Google vs. Oracle really is a battle of tech titans.

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