Oracle asks Judge to Bypass Jury in Trial Against Google

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Today Oracle asked U.S. District Court Judge William Alsup to sidestep whatever verdict the jury ultimately reaches in the company’s Java code copyright trial against Google.

Oracle alleged that Google violated copyright law by refusing to license Sun’s Java software code, and allegedly incorporating copyright-protected source code into its Android OS for mobile devices. Oracle completed its acquisition of Sun in January 2010.

Oracle’s legal maneuver, known as judgment as a matter of law, argues that “no reasonable jury could find that Google did not infringe Oracle’s Java-related copyrights.” (Read the legal filing below)


Oracle argues in its legal filing that, after all the evidence and trial testimony was seen and heard, “the unabashedly commercial, non-transformative nature of Google’s copying undermines its fair use defense.”

Oracle’s 32-page legal brief is a calculated strategy that, for all intents and purposes, attempts to reduce the risk and uncertainty of whatever decision the jury might ultimately reach.

Follow the case docket to see how Google responds to the allegations, and read Oracle’s motion to render judgment as a matter of law below:

Oracle’s America, Inc.’s Corrected Rule 50(a) Motion at the Close of All Evidence (Oracle America, Inc. v. Google, Inc.)