Oracle’s copyright infringement damages in Google case leaked

According to the U.S. Copyright Office, copyright protects various forms of created works from being used without the direct permission of the copyright holder. Without this type of protection, the exclusive rights to choose how to display, distribute and reproduce a created work would be available to anyone who wished to do so, which could cause the copyright holder a great deal of financial harm. Copyright law protects many forms of original authorship, including computer software.

In the ongoing copyright infringement case involving Google and Oracle Corporation, Google is accused of causing the failure of the Oracle operating system. The reason is that the search engine giant allegedly used Java programming platforms without the permission of the company that owns them – Oracle. Furthermore, Oracle claims that Google developed its Android system with Java technology and will be asking for a damage amount of about $8.89 billion. This is a relatively small amount when compared to the over $50 billion Google has brought in from the launch of Android, but much larger than estimated.

Google insists that it is innocent of the claims brought on by Oracle. Oracle, which purchased the company that developed Java, states that it will be releasing a fuller picture of the money that Google is making off of the Android system. In addition to the billions being sought from Android, Oracle will also be asking for $475 million in regular damages for the infringement.

Copyright cases can be long, drawn out matters that require an in-depth knowledge of the law to successfully navigate. For this reason, those with potential claims for copyright infringement may find it beneficial to speak with an attorney about their options.

Source: Business Finance News, “Oracle Corporation Is Now Claiming $9 billion In Damages In Case Against Google,” Henry Williams, Mar. 30, 2016.