Term: 2020
Docket: 18-956
Google Llc v. Oracle America Inc.
- Pro
18-956 GOOGLE LLC V. ORACLE AMERICA, INC. DECISION BELOW: 886 F.3d 1179 QUESTION PRESENTED: The Copyright Act provides that, while "original works of authorship" are generally eligible for copyright protection, 17 U.S.C. 102(a), "[i]n no case does copyright protection for an original work of authorship extend to any idea, procedure, process, system, method of operation, concept, principle, or discovery, regardless of the form in which it is described, explained, illustrated, or embodied in such work," 17 U.S.C. 102(b). The Act also makes clear that "the fair use of a copyrighted work * * * is not an infringement of copyright." 17 U.S.C. 107. As is relevant here, software interfaces are lines of computer code that allow developers to operate prewritten libraries of code used to perform particular tasks. Since the earliest days of software development, developers have used interfaces to access essential tools for building new computer programs. Contravening that longstanding practice, the Federal Circuit in this case held both that a software interface is copyrightable and that petitioner's use of a software interface in a new computer program cannot constitute fair use as a matter of law. The questions presented are: 1. Whether copyright protection extends to a software interface. 2. Whether, as the jury found, petitioner's use of a software interface in the context of creating a new computer program constitutes fair use. LOWER COURT CASE NUMBER: 2017-1118, 2017-1202 PRESS RELEASE OF MARCH 16, 2020 IN KEEPING WITH PUBLIC HEALTH PRECAUTIONS RECOMMENDED IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19, THE SUPREME COURT IS POSTPONING THE ORAL ARGUMENTS CURRENTLY SCHEDULED FOR THE MARCH SESSION. 4/13/2020: ARGUMENT TO BE RESCHEDULED FOR THE OCTOBER TERM 2020 ORDER OF MAY 5, 2020 THE PARTIES ARE DIRECTED TO FILE SUPPLEMENTAL LETTER BRIEFS ADDRESSING THE APPROPRIATE STANDARD OF REVIEW FOR THE SECOND QUESTION PRESENTED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE SEVENTH AMENDMENT, IF ANY, ON THAT STANDARD. CERT. GRANTED 11/15/2019
The U.S. Supreme Court case Google LLC v. Oracle America Inc., 2020, revolved around a dispute over software copyright and fair use laws in the digital age. The conflict began when Google copied certain elements—specifically, declaring code—from Oracle's Java SE program to build its Android operating system for smartphones, arguing that this was necessary for programmers' familiarity and interoperability purposes. Oracle sued Google claiming it had infringed upon their copyright by copying these lines of code without permission, seeking damages amounting to billions of dollars. In April 2021, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Google with a 6-2 decision stating that even if the copied codes were subject to copyright protection—which they did not definitively rule on—their usage by Google fell under "fair use" provisions within US Copyright law due to transformative nature of their application which contributed significantly towards public benefit.
In the dissenting opinion for GOOGLE LLC v. ORACLE AMERICA INC., Justice Thomas, joined by Justice Alito, argued that Google's use of Oracle’s software code was not fair use under copyright law. They contended that Google had copied 11,500 lines of Oracle's computer code to build its Android operating system and subsequently generated billions in profit. The justices believed this act did not transform the material into something new but rather used it for the same purpose and function as originally intended by Oracle - a key factor in determining fair use cases. Furthermore, they disagreed with the majority view on market effects; instead arguing that Google's actions harmed Oracle’s potential markets significantly. Lastly, they expressed concern about setting a precedent where companies could freely copy others' work just because it is more convenient or profitable than creating their own content or obtaining necessary permissions.
