[web_chops]

That's because its not Java. They are not allowed to call it Java. The only claims left from oracle at this point are that google used 'Java' (the language) without permission and they have used api interfaces aka function names and class names (ArrayList.GetItem() ArrayList.AddItem() stuff). There is no copying of the implementation anywhere. AFAIK if oracle wins this case, they can go ahead and sue Microsoft for providing ArrayList class in C#/.net - they almost have similar interfaces.

The more I think about this case, that more I hate Oracle. They are hurting Java's long term future for a few million bucks. Android provided lots of momentum for Java platform and if they end up switching to some other language (Go/python) everyone loses. Of course once oracle wins, there will be every one suing every one else having similarity in api interfaces.

[pron]

I think you may be confusing means and ends here. They are not suing Google because they believe they've infringed on their copyright. They're using copyright as a legal argument to sue Google over the fact that they've used technicalities and tricks to circumvent Java's license.

So no one is going to sue anyone over similarities in APIs because everyone understands that is not the point. Your argument about Java's benefit may be right, but they might be wrong: Android has fragmented Java, and not just the language but the API and the bytecode as well.

Whoever is right in this case, let's get one thing straight: Google is not some innocent player here. They wanted Java's developers for their platform, they didn't want to pay Sun for the license, so they used a trick to bypass that license. That trick may be successful legally, but don't paint Oracle (well, at least not in this case) as some troll trying to go after innocent innovators who only have the community's interest in mind.

[foamdino]

I'm not seeing where Android has caused fragmentation - which you keep mentioning.

Java is by definition fragmented. Java on phones has been fragmented for ages (pre-Android). Look at all the competing OS/APIs available for jme phones (BREW, Symbian, BlackBerry etc).

Java on phones has always been fragmented at the API level - wilfully ignoring this fact is basically saying that Java EE and Java SE and JavaCard are exactly the same and programs written for a giant cluster of enterprise machines that need to screen scrape terminals and connect to esoteric datasources, should run without modification on a Java capable phone circa 2007 - this is simply not the case and has never been the case. Face it Oracle are saying WORA is good and Android is killing WORA via 'fragmentation' - the reality is that WORA is basically a myth and marketing hype.

Oracle are a troll in so much as they fully supported an ASL licensed version of Java (APIs and vm) when they didn't own Java and then decided that having a truly open source implementation was a bad idea after they owned the IP.

Google cleanroom'd (and used libraries which had an appropriate license) - this was expensive and not necessarily the best thing to do - who knows apart from Andy Rubin I guess, but I cannot see how this was illegal, or even morally wrong as you are suggesting.

Google could reasonably point to the fact that Apache had been working for 6 years on a fully open source version of Java without any legal problems - why should they suddenly find themselves in trouble for using that software and adding their own vm?

Personally I think you're mistaken about the history of this case, who is acting in good faith and who isn't and the realities of developing Java programs for phones and in general. I'm honestly exasperated by people who seem to ignore the evidence that is in the open about what transpired when and then go on about how 'evil' Google has been over this whole thing. Google acted in their best interests as a company and what they did hasn't negatively impacted any Java developers that I know about. The only people that claim that Google has stolen Java or have destroyed Java or any other hyperbolic negative affect they claim seem to have a personal axe to grind and/or work for Oracle.