Oracle has increased the amount of damages it is seeking in its long-running copyright dispute with Google that centers on the use of Java APIs in Android. Oracle now wants $9.3 billion instead of the $6 billion it previously asked for. The database giant claims that Google has made $31 billion in revenue and $22 billion in profit from Android since its release in 2008.
The two sides have already met in court several times. While Oracle’s patent claims were not upheld, an appeals court ruled that the Java APIs were subject to copyright law, and the Supreme Court declined to hear Google’s subsequent appeal. A new trial then explored the issue of whether Google’s use of the Java APIs constituted “fair use.” The jury could not reach a verdict. A new trial on the same issue is scheduled to begin in May.
