How Will Oracle's Suit Against Google Influence Enterprises?

by Sam Dean - Aug. 17, 2010Comments (1)

Now that Oracle's lawsuit against Google regarding parts of the Java code used in the Android OS is widely discussed, many people seem to be waking up to the fact that the implications stretch far beyond the suit itself. We've already made the point that the suit represents a classic example of how maneuvers by a proprietary software company around an open (or in the case of Java, largely open) platform points to problems for all of open source. How, specifically, is the whole open source landscape threatened, though? What do IT administrators think of the whole thing?

Matt Asay, one of the shrewdest open source bloggers ever, and now COO of Canonical, has a very interesting essay about the case up on our sister site GigaOM. He writes:

"There is no Santa Claus. No Easter Bunny. And no such thing as an open-source community separate and distinct from the profit-driven free market that drives software development, generally."

Interestingly, though, he also notes that Google is no saint in the whole dispute. "Google needs to answer Oracle’s specific allegations that it 'knowingly, directly and repeatedly' violated Oracle’s Java-related copyrights and patents." That's true.

Dana Blankenhorn at ZDNet has also weighed in on the topic, and makes the point that it becomes hard for any enterprise--and enterprises are places where open source has been making important inroads--to fully commit to open source applications and platforms when it's obvious that a big, proprietary software company can quickly step in and exert its power and influence. He writes:

"If proprietary companies like Oracle can buy up open source projects and then take back their open source status, how can an enterprise depend on open source software?"

Ask most IT administrators at enterprises why they're wary of open source software, and they'll cite lack of support and documentation, but increasingly they'll probably cite shenanigans like Oracle's. In all likelihood, Google, a company noted for its many contributions to open source, will make clear that what Oracle is doing runs against the whole idea of openness and open source. When news of the Oracle suit originally broke, we made the point that it's very bad PR for Oracle, and that still seems to be the case.

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by oiaohm on Aug. 18, 2010

Really there has not been a full report on Oracle vs Google dispute seeking to find the issue.

One of the common arguments against open source is fragmentation. If it turns out that Oracle action means that Java cannot fragment this may be good for java.

Maybe people are pushing for the wrong thing. Maybe instead of attacking Oracle. We may need to ask Oracle nicely to setup a Java Foundation in charge of the Java Standard giving google and others a place to bring up there proposed changes to standard.

With the shield of patents to make sure it works.

Instead everyone is trying to take worse case. Dig a bit deep and you find that apaches full open source Java implementation is protected by the standard patent grant. That requires a full implementation.

There is also another way to do a part implementation but the code has to be under GPL.

Google has chosen neither path. So now Oracle is now ripping into the brat google for doing wrong. And somehow Oracle is the bad guy.

Really sit down and see how much of the android platform to outside standards. Lot of the android platform is close outside standards but with a tweak here or a tweak there.

This should be a clear warning to anyone who thinks they can disregard the rules of upstream when developing. Heck a lot nick busybox and the like for there devices.

The Oracle case clearly says you do this stupidity of not having upstream on side you may face being under patent attack and copyright attack.

Really for the health of Open Source Oracle winning could be the best thing.

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