Oracle v Google – The Billion Dollar Loss
It’s a fact: Oracle thought they had a billion dollar payday coming from Google over the use of Java in Android. In court, Oracle not only wanted billions, they wanted an outright ban on Android over their claims that Google violated Java patents and copyrights. Didn’t work out for them like that.
The jury found that Android did in fact infringe on some Oracle copyrights, and then turned right around and found that Google wasn’t infringing on Oracle’s patents. And then this week, Judge Alsup ruled that the SSO (structure, sequence and organization) of the Java APIs aren’t copyrightable.
There goes your billion dollar payday Larry.
To be sure, there will be appeals. Oracle totally took this trial in the shorts, and Ellison isn’t going to just let this one slide by. Oracle will appeal this sucker all the way to the Supreme Court if they have to, but they won’t let it end here.
Experts on all of this legal stuff seem split when guessing Oracle’s chances on appeal, and if they aren’t successful in overturning Judge Alsup’s carefully crafted and well worded decision, then this round versus Oracle will definitely go to Google. Oracle took their best shot in this case, relying more so on copyright violations than patent infringement to try to win their case. Any actions brought after this one will be much weaker from the start, and that’s a good thing in Android land.
Google pulled an Apple Move?
I know none of you care, but the annual Apple Worldwide Developer Conference kicks off on June 11th in beautiful San Francisco. There, Apple is certain to announce details about iOS 6 and the many new features that will come to their devices later this year.
A near lead pipe cinch announcement will be what the new Apple iOS Maps application will look like. Apple famously dropped Google Maps in their iOS version of Photos, and iOS 6 will see Apple drop Google Maps in their map application in favor of their own in-house option.
I hear you: BIG DAMN DEAL!
Apparently it is a big deal, or at least the fact that Google announced their own Maps related press event for June 6th to highlight the “next dimension” in Google Maps is a big deal.
There are some comments on Apple inspired blogs accusing Google of trying to upstage the Apple Maps announcement with a hastily arranged gathering to show off a product that isn’t even ready to ship yet. Kind of like how Apple likes to drop rumors to the press about their upcoming devices during the Consumer Electronics Show.
Apple can drop Google Maps if they want to, I really don’t care. For anyone to cry foul over Google getting out in front of an Apple announcement? That’s a damn joke. Apple is the king of cutting off competitors with their well-timed, strategic, off-the-record releases of hints and rumors to disrupt any momentum that a competitor might gain for a product event or announcement.
Did Google time this Maps event to upstage Apple Maps? God, I hope like hell that they did. This is no hint or rumor, this is an actual product event, but at the end of the day anything that gets under the skin of the iOS crowd, that’s for me.
Samsung Sold a Helluva lot of Phones!
These aren’t the kind of numbers that some companies in the mobile phone business see, but Sammy has sold 57 million Galaxy S, S II and Note devices to date. That’s actually a pretty big deal.
Samsung sells about 40% of all Android devices worldwide, and they far outpace the other Android OEMs in market share. Again, that’s a really big deal. Google’s big idea for Android has always been to see it sold on as many devices from as many manufacturers as possible. Flood every device price point with as many makes and models of phones as possible, because that’s what is in their own interest.
For Joe Average User, that may not be the best thing. It’s really kind of important for their to be a leader amongst the Android OEMs. One company that kind of sets the pace, that gives all of the other Android OEMs the target to shoot for. Apparently that’s Samsung.
I’ve had some not so nice things to say about Samsung devices in the recent past: here, here and here.
Even me, a well established Samsung hater, I must admit that the Samsung Galaxy Nexus is the best phone that I have ever owned. It’s the least iPhone looking device that they sell in my opinion, and it has that pure ICS look and feel instead of TouchWiz, but I’m in love with it.
Good on you Samsung. Sell the hell out of those Galaxy devices.
The Note is still way too damn big.