Oracle and Google are facing off at the supreme court. The Oracle-Google Saga started about 10 years ago after Oracle acquired Sun Microsystems. Sun created Java, which is where the problems started when google began developing its Android Operating System and wanted to use Jave API's but couldn't really work out a deal with Sun Microsystems.
So Google than just said screw it and pretty much-duplicated parts of java in it's Andriod System, and also used some of java APIs from an open-source version of java.
Essentially, the court case is now whether Google had the right t use Jave APIs in creating Andriod. Oracles say that Google essentially infringed on its copyright and patent. But Google on its side id arguing that since API's are just interfaces or methods of using computer program or platform, it's isn't a computer program itself and cant be copyrighted. Earlier cases stated that methods of operation cant be copyrighted.
Since 2009, when google snatched Java APIs, generations of software, most of the software that we use single everyday s been built on APIs.
If Oracle wins their Supreme court fight, a small group of companies will be able to sue all those companies for using and building software on top of Something, a process, a method of operation, that was previously thought for being free. This freedom allowed for software interoperability.
Oracle originally lost the case in 2012, then Google lost the case in 2014 and again in 2016. The recent death of Justice Ginsburg will make the supreme Court fight even harder for google to win
Created Sun Java, where problems started when Google started developing its Android operating system and wanted to use the Java API.
Could not execute any real agreement with microsystems.