**Google’s Landmark Victory in Oracle Copyright Case Upheld by Supreme Court**.
**Supreme Court Declines to Review, Ending Long-Running Legal Battle**.
The United States Supreme Court has declined to review a lower court ruling in favor of Google in a high-profile copyright case brought by Oracle. The decision brings to a close a years-long legal battle that has centered around whether Google’s use of Oracle’s Java application programming interfaces (APIs) in its Android operating system constitutes fair use..
**Background of the Case**.
In 2010, Oracle sued Google for copyright infringement, alleging that Google had unlawfully copied over 11,000 lines of code from Oracle’s Java SE platform into its Android operating system. Google argued that its use of the code was protected by the fair use doctrine, which allows for the limited use of copyrighted material without permission for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research..
**Lower Court Rulings**.
In 2012, a federal jury ruled in favor of Google, finding that its use of Oracle’s code was transformative and therefore constituted fair use. The jury awarded Oracle $0 in damages. Oracle appealed the decision, but in 2014, the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the jury’s verdict..
**Supreme Court’s Decision**.
Oracle sought review of the Federal Circuit’s decision by the Supreme Court. However, on January 17, 2023, the Supreme Court declined to grant certiorari, effectively ending the case. The decision means that the lower court rulings in favor of Google remain in place..
**Implications of the Decision**.
The Supreme Court’s decision is a significant victory for Google and a setback for Oracle. It reinforces the fair use doctrine’s importance in protecting innovation and creativity in the digital age. The decision also provides clarity for software developers who use third-party code in their creations..
**Google’s Statement**.
In a statement following the Supreme Court’s decision, Google said, .
