Google LLC v. Oracle America, Inc.

Overview

• Court: US Supreme Court (cert. stage)
• Issue: Copyright
• Status: Pending
• Lower Court: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

Questions Presented:

1. Whether copyright protection extends to a software interface that allows developers to operate prewritten libraries of code used to perform particular tasks.
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.

Case Description:

The RLC’s brief espouses concerns related to the anti-competitive potential of using copyright law to bind users to certain software, thereby inhibiting the interoperability of online retail.