Oracle Thinks Google Owes $6.1 Billion In Damages 243
An anonymous reader writes "When Oracle acquired Sun in 2009, the company got its hands on a lot of desirable technology. While OpenOffice may have fallen by the wayside, Oracle isn't about to let the Java programming language and its associated patents remain untouched if they can generate some additional revenue. In fact, the company is currently in the middle of a legal battle with Google over those patents that could potentially net Oracle billions and leave Android crippled. In August last year Oracle sued Google for infringing Java patents and copyright by developing Android. Oracle argues that Android uses technology derived from Java and therefore infringes multiple patents. It wants compensation, but with most court documents and details not publicly available, it's hard to know specifics. However, new documents made available late last week revealed just how much Oracle thinks is an acceptable damages payment for Google to make. According to an expert Oracle hired, Google could be looking at a bill between $1.4 billion and $6.1 billion for its alleged infringements."
Re:New Google Strategy (Score:4, Informative)
Even if your strategy wasn't impractical, what would make you think that Google would want to make Java public domain?
Google, for all their recent goofs, still believes in making things available - grow through acceptance and use of technology, rather than standing over customers and developers with a fee schedule and a large club.
Re:New Google Strategy (Score:4, Informative)
they only need to own 51%
Oracle's Market Cap = 161.13B
Price to control = 80.565B
Google's Cash on Hand = 36.67B
so yea they are short a bit..
Re:Obligatory (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Compensation for Java? (Score:5, Informative)
Note the updates from Groklaw. (link to article) [groklaw.net]