A decade-long battle is over, with the Supreme Court siding with Google over copyright claims

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

The Supreme Court has ruled in Google’s favor concerning a recent copyright battle with Oracle Corp. The legal battle stems from the fact that Google used a good bit of Java API code in the development of its mobile device operating system, Android.

This battle has been bouncing around in federal courts for years before eventually making it to the Supreme Court. The lawsuit states that Google used over 11,000 lines of code from the Java API. Java was acquired by Oracle in 2010, and the company has been fighting a legal battle with Google ever since.

The Supreme Court finally made a decision, stating that Google’s use of the code is classified as “fair use.” By a 6-2 ruling, the court decided that Google was not in the wrong by utilizing the API code, which is what allows programs and apps to talk to one another on any given device or across other devices.

What does this mean in the long run?

The people at Oracle were obviously not very happy with the court’s ruling. In a statement regarding the decision, a spokesperson for the company said, “The Google platform just got bigger and market power greater. The barriers to entry higher and the ability to compete lower. They stole Java and spent a decade litigating as only a monopolist can…” The company is obviously frustrated about not receiving compensation for Google’s use of its API code.

While Oracle is obviously upset with the court’s decision, there is another perspective worth looking at. The API code used in the development of Android makes it easier for developers to make programs and apps that work well with each other. This ruling has set a precedent that will make developers more comfortable with utilizing this existing code when creating new apps or programs, which will help make a better end product for consumers.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• The next set of Google Pixel Buds might be more affordable and called Pixel Buds A
• Google Maps is adding indoor AR directions, eco-friendly routing, and more
• Judge says Apple knew its MacBook Pro screens would go bad
• A judge in California says Google can be sued for Incognito mode tracking