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Google Inc has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to wade into contentious litigation against Oracle Corp, arguing that the high court must act to protect innovation in high tech.
Google’s request, filed on Monday, seeks to overturn an appeals court ruling that found Oracle could copyright parts of the Java programming language, which Google used to design its Android smartphone operating system.
Specifically, Oracle says Google copied the structure and organization of the Java APIs (application programming interfaces), in part so that developers already familiar with Java would find it easier to write programs for Android.
Google argued that the APIs shouldn’t be protected by copyright because they’re required to write compatible programs. The lower court agreed, but the appeals court sided with Oracle and said APIs are creative works that deserve protection like any other.
The search and advertising giant filed its request for the Supreme Court to hear the case earlier this week. The court doesn’t accept all cases and it might well decline its request.
Google’s filing wasn’t immediately available on the Supreme Court’s website. Oracle has until Nov. 7 to file its response.
“Early computer companies could have blocked vast amounts of technological development by claiming 95-year copyright monopolies over the basic building blocks of computer design and programming,” Google said in its filing, according to a Reuters report.
Agencies/Canadajournal
