Oracle Sues Google, Saying Android Violates Java Copyrights

Oracle sued Google for patent and copyright infringement, a surprise move that could cast a legal cloud over the growing number of cellphones that use the Android operating system.

The suit represents a sweeping shot at the current, much admired and often resented, king of Silicon Valley by Oracle's swashbuckling chief executive who has thrived even while alienating many with his aggressive acquisitiveness and push to portray himself as an outsider. The move creates a confrontation between Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, whose company dominates in business software, and Google's Eric Schmidt, a former Sun chief technology officer who spread Sun's open software message at Google.

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Northern California, accuses Google of infringing seven Java patents and related copyrights. It seeks unspecific damages and an injunction against "continued acts of infringement" by Google.