Google wins trial against Oracle -- Java APIs in Android are 'fair use'

Google has won a case brought against it by Oracle in which it was accused of infringing on copyright by using Java APIs in Android. But at the end of a two-week trial, the jury found in Google's favor saying that 'fair use' was an acceptable defense.

Had Google lost the case, it could have cost the company billions of dollars and would have set something of a precedent. This was the first major case in which a company tried to use copyright law to control the use of APIs.

During the trial, representatives from both Oracle and Sun Microsystems -- from whom Oracle bought Java back in 2000 -- put forward arguments. Google was accused of copying 11,500 lines of code and a total of 37 Java APIs.

The company responded by saying that Java was, and had always been, "free and open" to use, meaning it was free to re-implement the APIs in Android. The jury agreed, bringing the case to an end. Oracle, having spent huge amounts of money on the case, is almost certain to appeal but for now, Google is victorious.

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