Judge may accept partial verdict in Google-Oracle case

 

Oracle has sued Google in a federal court, claiming that the latter’s Android mobile platform violated its patents and copyright to Java. Oracle had accused Google of violating the copyright on parts of the Java programming language, in a trial over smartphone technology involving about $1 billion. News has it that the jury in the Oracle-Google case has ruled on three out of four questions it must answer. However, no verdict has been delivered, so far as the jurors have been sent back by the judge to deliberate on the issue that is unresolved. Reportedly, the copyright portion of the trial has ended and apparently Jurors told the Judge, William Alsup, that they have reached a decision on all questions, but one. A court hearing was held wherein Alsup and the lawyers on both sides were involved in a discussion of partial verdict and moving on to patent portion of the case. However, the judge told the jury to work on the copyright questions, as per a ZDNet report.

One more legal battle....

Three questions are consequential, because the fourth question was asked for advisory purposes. However, the fourth question that has been the cause of holding things up hasn’t been revealed yet. The jury has been ruling on Google violating the law by using 37 java API packages, infringement of Java packages by Google, and violations involving source code. The next hearing is on Monday and even if the jury is deadlocked, we may hear a partial verdict, so that the trial can move on.

Basically, the judge may accept a partial verdict in case the jury can’t agree on all four verdict questions relating to Google stealing Oracle’s technology for its Android software or whether it didn’t require a license at all. Reportedly, Alsup said, “I’m going to receive a partial verdict. I’m not going to let this work go to waste.”