Oracle and Google Java code dispute returns to court

Android's success has 'destroyed' Java's marketability, said Oracle

Software giant Oracle is seeking to expand a legal complaint against Google's Android operating system.

Oracle alleges that Android uses thousands of lines of code from the Java programming language Oracle owns.

Oracle has filed court papers seeking to include the six most recent versions of Android in its complaint against Google.

Those six versions have been released while the long-running US court case has been fought.

In its legal papers, Oracle said the ongoing success of Android was in danger of "destroying" interest in Java.

The "widespread dominance" that Android had achieved in the mobile phone market had done "irreversible" damage to Java's potential market, said Oracle.

This success was based on Google using 37 Java packages without permission, it argued.

Copyright or not?

In its court case Oracle is looking for a judgement that Google has infringed its copyright, along with an injunction to stop Google using the disputed code.

It also seeks damages and costs.

The legal scrap between Google and Oracle began in 2010 and the two firms first faced each other in court in May 2012.

The jury in that case decided in Oracle's favour but the judge overturned the decision saying Java's disputed code was not covered by copyright laws.

Oracle appealed and a higher US court reversed the judge's decision saying the code was indeed covered by copyright.

Google then took this decision to the US Supreme court which rejected its arguments in June this year.

The rejection means the case must return to a lower court which will now decide the case.

Neither Google nor Oracle have responded to a request for comment.