My understanding is that some of the patents are specifically targeted at mobile. Which is why Sun created them in the first place and why Sun didn't open source Java ME.

You have to hand it to the Sun management who realised early mobile was where the money lay. Probably the same people that created Dalvik for Google!

The damages aren't the key. Oracle would probably be happy to win if the damages were zero, provided they can enforce Java licensing. I believe Oracle is looking for $15 per device.

Because clearly Oracle is seeking to increase the licensing costs for Java in whatever way it can and doesn't care about the collateral damage.

And the fall out if Google has to license mobile Java will be enterprise changing track. They will not want to have to support multiple platforms. Given Apple. Microsoft and now RIM have moved toward standardizing on C derivatives for mobile I'm brushing up on my old C/C++ skills. After over a decade of continuous Java development I haven't written Java in months.

The API's were deliberately left proprietary by the very people now the subject of Oracles suit - precisely because they did not want to open up mobile Java (via SE or ME).

It's crazy that Google didn't settle when the two Larrys were locked in a room for a day last year.

The truth is Google knows that having to license Android devices will kill the advertising goose that lays the golden egg. In the process these guys don't care that millions of Java developers could have wasted their time learning a dying technology.

Oracle may be greedy, but the real evil villains in this situation are Google.

One of Googles engineers already admitted they needed to license Java in a much publicised email.

Had the original judge been able to take the case there seems little doubt Oracle would have won - and with considerable damages. This time around somehow Google has managed to get a more favorable situation.

The truth is Google knew it should license Java and failed to do so.

We may all want our local bank to open its doors and hand out money, but that doesn't make it legal.

There are no shortage of languages around, and in a sense C/C++/Objective C/C# have already won.

Do you think Google didn't know exactly what they were doing when the developed Dalvik? The company is awash with ex-Sun execs.

There are already companies licensing Java on mobile who are at a distinct competitive disadvantage because they have to pay a licensing fee to Oracle for the use of Java, whereas Google (and its partner manufacturers) do not license Java on Android. If Oracle wins my guess is Android will die slowly because whatever the PR may be, Android is successful because the cell carriers make more money from the devices than any other.

Sun knew exactly what is was doing when it opened up the non-mobile Java SDK but failed to do the same with Java ME.

Oracle is in an all or nothing move to either generate revenue from Java on mobile or kill it off. Whatever the damages they're claiming, the real cost will be in the massive license fees they negotiate if they win.

RIM's Playbook device is the first example of what is happening. The device has no Java unless you use Android apps. Despite the fact RIM's entire app catalog on App World for its earlier OS was Java based. Whatever their public statements on the subject, the truth is this is about licensing and competition (otherwise why didn't RIM release the Java VM already available on the new OS they bought).

You'd have to be monumentally stupid to think you could call people randomly, give them false information about polling, then expect not to get caught. Is there a "rogue" campaign worker who may be so dumb as to think they could do this and get away with it? Perhaps. But it would never be sanctioned by anyone savvy enough to be in a position of responsibility, however evil, because it's impossible to avoid detection when hundreds of people would be affected. The sad part of this story is that there are individuals and groups in Canada who are so desperate to unseat the Tories they actually think an entire political party coud be this stupid. Over the years opposers of the Tories have portrayed them as every kind of evil. It's just not believable anymore, which is why they were elected in the first place.

The Conservative Party was not involved in this action. Neither it seems was the company used by the Conservative Party. All you had to do was read the story in the National Post. In fact, the post could be seen as an attempt to mislead Canadians with reference to the Conservative Party!!!