Oracle’s Android Lawsuit Fits Pattern

There’s no question that Oracle just hates the very idea of open-source software. The company’s intellectual property lawsuit against Google, filed August 12 in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, Calif., alleges that the open-source Android mobile operating system infringes on Java copyrights and patents. But a closer look at the case reveals that this suit is may simply be part of a pattern by software giants to kill off open-source options for good.
Look at what’s happened already and the pattern becomes clear:

  • Oracle has killed Open Solaris, sending out a note to developers that there will be no more updates to the code.
  • It’s already clear that MySQL, which Oracle sees as competition to its own database, is on the chopping block.
  • The rest of Sun’s open-source legacy is going the same way.
  • Java, of course, as an open-source technology is also probably on the chopping block, as is indicated by the suit against Google.

In fact, about the only major open-source effort not mentioned so far is OpenOffice, which was certainly supported by Sun and is now likely to lose whatever support it might have had there.

A little farther down the piles of devastation you’ll see MySQL. You can assume that its days are numbered. Oracle is not going to let a direct competitor to its own core software product survive. Likewise, Java’s days are also probably numbered. While Oracle can’t kill it outright, if the company starts filing lawsuits wherever Java is used, it’ll have the same effect.

For more, read the full eWeek News Analysis, Oracle Suit Against Android Threatens Open-Source Existence.

CIO Insight Staff
CIO Insight Staff
CIO Insight offers thought leadership and best practices in the IT security and management industry while providing expert recommendations on software solutions for IT leaders. It is the trusted resource for security professionals who need network monitoring technology and solutions to maintain regulatory compliance for their teams and organizations.

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