Oracle v. Google - Stipulation on Copyright Damages Approved

groklaw.net

I assume there will be a description of what this means in layman's terms forthcoming on groklaw. But until then can someone here explain? grellas?

If the judge rules that APIs are copyrightable, then a new jury will be necessary, so they will decide the damages on the non-API infringement which has already been found. If he rules that APIs are NOT copyrightable, then he will decide the statutory damages for the non-API infringement, rather than bothering with a jury. Statutory damages are limited.

There are basically two things to watch for at this point:

- the jury's verdict on patents (currently deliberating)

- the judge's ruling on API copyrightability (probably a week or two out).

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