Could Android be pulled from shelves?

[Seadog]

A little discussions on whatif law. Oracle bought Sun. Sun developed JAVA. JAVA forms the basis for Android. Google has never met the criteria required for free use of JAVA. Oracle is suing Google. This is what Steve Jobs was referring to when he stated that Android is an illegal platform. Oracle original settlement offer was several billion dollars. They soon revised that down to $2.5B. Google has been arrogant throughout the whole thing. Several attempts at mediation. As I understand it, the original judge bowed out, but was under the iview that Google did not have any defense and should be paying Oracle as much as $1B. The high offer from Google is $2.8M, or a thousand times less that what is being asked by Oracle.

Oracle is at the point where they will call for all Android devices to be removed from sale until the issue is resolved. That is not a high probablity, and even slimmer chance of a judge granting the stay. However, if Google soe not show signs of being serious in dealing with oracle, it could happen. If it did, and Apple could ramp up production, it could give Apple a major gain in the market. And could make a Windows phone more attractive. More likely, is that once it has been declared that Android is a prirated system, many of the lawsuites between Apple and Android manufacturers will be resolved very quickly in Apple's favor. Probably a 'fruit of the poisoned tree' issue.

 

[AQ_OC]

Wow.....the google heads are just playing it fast and loose. Who do they think they are? Gods? They are just too full of themselves to be allowed to exist. Not that I want android to go away (and I doubt it will). But those boys need to grow up. They can hire lawyers Jusy like everyone else and play by the rules.

 

[Shylock]

I hope not.....to be honest, I think I like the galaxy tablet better then the iPad. Apple just is making everything such a pita...and no flash....or maybe I just do not know how to use things properly, but android just seems so much more natural. I am really really really thinking about returning this and getting a galaxy 10.1, I already have a 8.9, and well....like I said....can I get a stumbler app easily for my galaxy? Why yes I can.....can I play flash on it? Why yes I can....Can I just easily out of the box access it's file structure and upload movies I make or mp3's I produce? Sure no problem, and I do not have to deal with Dropbox, or upload it here then move there, and etc,etc,etc....it is horrible IMO when you have to jailbreak something merely to make it reasonable to use after you spend hundreds of dollars on it, and then what does the company do? They purposely make their best efforts to prevent you from making it more useful to yourself as well.....
I am waiting so far to really try to learn how to use this, hoping maybe this forum and others will somehow teach me to love this device because it can do so many wonderful things I do not yet know about maybe.....but well, so far, it is obvious which way I am leaning I think.

 

[AdmiralAdama]

Hmmm.
The Techtanic?
AA

 

[EvilMonkey]

While the OP reaks of fanboyism and bias (surprised it's started by a moderator, actually), it will be interesting to watch this unfold over the next few weeks.

While I don't claim to know much of anything around the case, it's my understanding that it basically boils down to Oracle is claiming JAVA (the language) and the the API's are copyrightable and Google is claiming they are not (and anything that is such as Oracle-specific JAVA items are not being used).

If Google isn't lying about not using proprietary tech, and the law comes down on Oracle's side (in other words, the court agrees that a language is copyrightable), it'll be a nightmare...do you have any idea how much stuff is written in JAVA? Oracle will be suing anyone and everyone. Hell, I just wrote a JAVA program today. How about if someone decides they own the copyright on C#? OMG....

I firmly believe that languages are not copyrightable. I think I can code as much as I want in JAVA with no repercussions. The problem is if someone else codes something in JAVA and I steal that code. It's like trying to copyright the alphabet and then suing anyone who writes something.

Of course, it could always come out that Google is actually stealing some proprietary code or technology, but even then and they have to pay a billion bucks....Google will just pay it (while a billion is a lot of money, Google's profits are in the 10 billion range each year, so it's a short term hit). Highly unlikely Android would be yanked. Too much money in it for Google to let it get pulled.

Patent law is annoying. The Apple/Samsung fight is starting up too.

 

[zphone]

I am sure that android will emerge stronger from this! It may require big changes but I cannot see Google just quitting.

 

[Walt Cullop]

The worst that will happen is they have to pay fees and life goes on. Plus the appeals will take years

 

[AQ_OC]

I hope not.....to be honest, I think I like the galaxy tablet better then the iPad. Apple just is making everything such a pita...and no flash....or maybe I just do not know how to use things properly, but android just seems so much more natural. I am really really really thinking about returning this and getting a galaxy 10.1, I already have a 8.9, and well....like I said....can I get a stumbler app easily for my galaxy? Why yes I can.....can I play flash on it? Why yes I can....Can I just easily out of the box access it's file structure and upload movies I make or mp3's I produce? Sure no problem, and I do not have to deal with Dropbox, or upload it here then move there, and etc,etc,etc....it is horrible IMO when you have to jailbreak something merely to make it reasonable to use after you spend hundreds of dollars on it, and then what does the company do? They purposely make their best efforts to prevent you from making it more useful to yourself as well.....
I am waiting so far to really try to learn how to use this, hoping maybe this forum and others will somehow teach me to love this device because it can do so many wonderful things I do not yet know about maybe.....but well, so far, it is obvious which way I am leaning I think.

Just take it back. You don't need to JB to do any of the stuff you need to do, but if you are having such a hard time with the iPad, get another Sammy.

 

[AQ_OC]

The worst that will happen is they have to pay fees and life goes on. Plus the appeals will take years

Agreed. I do not see android going anywhere and there is no way all these devices and products will be called back. Not gonna happen.

 

[leelai]

While the OP reaks of fanboyism and bias (surprised it's started by a moderator, actually), it will be interesting to watch this unfold over the next few weeks.

I can not see any Fanboyism in the OP's post or bias for that matter. I found this very interesting and can't see why a Moderator shouldn't also and want to chat about it, apparently you find it interesting also!

 

[AnonymousNoOne]

While the OP reaks of fanboyism and bias (surprised it's started by a moderator, actually), it will be interesting to watch this unfold over the next few weeks.

While I don't claim to know much of anything around the case, it's my understanding that it basically boils down to Oracle is claiming JAVA (the language) and the the API's are copyrightable and Google is claiming they are not (and anything that is such as Oracle-specific JAVA items are not being used).

If Google isn't lying about not using proprietary tech, and the law comes down on Oracle's side (in other words, the court agrees that a language is copyrightable), it'll be a nightmare...do you have any idea how much stuff is written in JAVA? Oracle will be suing anyone and everyone. Hell, I just wrote a JAVA program today. How about if someone decides they own the copyright on C#? OMG....

I firmly believe that languages are not copyrightable. I think I can code as much as I want in JAVA with no repercussions. The problem is if someone else codes something in JAVA and I steal that code. It's like trying to copyright the alphabet and then suing anyone who writes something.

Of course, it could always come out that Google is actually stealing some proprietary code or technology, but even then and they have to pay a billion bucks....Google will just pay it (while a billion is a lot of money, Google's profits are in the 10 billion range each year, so it's a short term hit). Highly unlikely Android would be yanked. Too much money in it for Google to let it get pulled.

Patent law is annoying. The Apple/Samsung fight is starting up too.

Intellectual property (IP) refers to creations of the mind: inventions, literary and artistic works, and symbols, names, images, and designs used in commerce.

IP is divided into two categories: Industrial property, which includes inventions (patents), trademarks, industrial designs, and geographic indications of source; and Copyright, which includes literary and artistic works such as novels, poems and plays, films, musical works, artistic works such as drawings, paintings, photographs and sculptures, and architectural designs. Rights related to copyright include those of performing artists in their performances, producers of phonograms in their recordings, and those of broadcasters in their radio and television programs.

The innovations and creative expressions of indigenous and local communities are also IP, yet because they are “traditional” they may not be fully protected by existing IP systems. Access to, and equitable benefit-sharing in, genetic resources also raise IP questions. Normative and capacity-building programs are underway at WIPO to develop balanced and appropriate legal and practical responses to these issues.

 

[Kaykaykay]

Could Android be pulled from shelves?

Uh, no. Lol. What a silly question.

 

[Skull One]

Normally I don't like to interject pure opinion into a discussion of this nature, but I am going to relax my own rules for once.

Lets have some fun with "A Theory of Why" Oracle decided to launch this lawsuit the way they did.

The big reason they asked for over six billion was easy. Scare Google into settling quickly for a few hundred million to one billion. That didn't work needless to say. In fact, I believe that was Oracles second mistake. The first probably occurred during the original closed door meetings. And while I am guessing Google was willing to settle the money issues originally, they weren't willing to settle the issue that had Oracle truly upset.

Now here is where my opinion has ZERO FACT to back it up. But "What happened in the original closed door meetings to force Oracle to go public"? I have a theory.

Google's implementation of Java is doing something that neither Sun or Oracle could accomplish. A very wide industry adoption of a particular implementation of Java. Oracle wants, heck feels it has the moral imperative to be the sole arbitrator of the Java language and its path going forward. If Android continues it current adoption rate, there will be more lines of Android Java code on this planet than Oracle's Java code. And for those not in the industry of programming, they may share the same name, but trust me they don't operate the same.

Oracle doesn't want this to happen. They want to be relevant and a player going forward. Simply put, they want to survive on their terms not on Googles.



Again, I have nothing to back this up. Just a gut feeling. I could be soooo far off base it isn't funny. But the OP did decide to post a really implausible scenario, so why shouldn't I for once?

 

[AnonymousNoOne]

A little discussions on whatif law. Oracle bought Sun. Sun developed JAVA. JAVA forms the basis for Android. Google has never met the criteria required for free use of JAVA. Oracle is suing Google. This is what Steve Jobs was referring to when he stated that Android is an illegal platform. Oracle original settlement offer was several billion dollars. They soon revised that down to $2.5B. Google has been arrogant throughout the whole thing. Several attempts at mediation. As I understand it, the original judge bowed out, but was under the iview that Google did not have any defense and should be paying Oracle as much as $1B. The high offer from Google is $2.8M, or a thousand times less that what is being asked by Oracle.

Oracle is at the point where they will call for all Android devices to be removed from sale until the issue is resolved. That is not a high probablity, and even slimmer chance of a judge granting the stay. However, if Google soe not show signs of being serious in dealing with oracle, it could happen. If it did, and Apple could ramp up production, it could give Apple a major gain in the market. And could make a Windows phone more attractive. More likely, is that once it has been declared that Android is a prirated system, many of the lawsuites between Apple and Android manufacturers will be resolved very quickly in Apple's favor. Probably a 'fruit of the poisoned tree' issue.

Well if you read what seadog Was saying, Oracle is SUING Google. They tried to work it out with Google but it was a no go.
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[AnonymousNoOne]

It is Intellectual property. Let's say you were a true Alchemist and found a way to make Gold out of other Metals and copyright it. Then every company in world had stolen your Intellectual Property for it. How would you feel about it??
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