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Oracle's disconnect on remix culture

Felix Salmon, author of Capital

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

The most important Supreme Court case in modern Silicon Valley history came to oral arguments on Wednesday.

Why it matters: Oracle is suing Google for writing some specialized code, known as an API, which allowed developers to code in Oracle's Java programming language when building Android apps. Oracle claims copyright on Java APIs, and wants $9 billion in damages.

  • The cognitive disconnect comes from the fact that Oracle is simultaneously trying to spend billions of dollars in an attempt to align itself with the business model of TikTok, which is entirely based on reusing copyrighted material without payment to the rights holders.

Background: There's no doubt where Silicon Valley stands with regard to the Supreme Court case — and it's not with Oracle. Just one amicus brief was signed by just about every living software-engineering legend in the Valley, and other companies like Microsoft, IBM and Mozilla have also sided with Google.

  • The Supreme Court is not tech Twitter, however, and the outcome could easily go Oracle's way.

Be smart: The APIs in question were written by Sun Microsystems, an engineering-led Silicon Valley company that respected remix culture and interoperability and would never have sued Google like this. But then Sun was bought by Oracle, and the Sun culture changed.

  • TikTok is the essence of remix culture — a place where dance routines and snippets of music get reimagined by millions of users. The music copyright holders, like Sun Microsystems, might not love the fact that they aren't being directly paid for that use, but they know that when other companies help them turn up in new contexts, they ultimately make more money.

The bottom line: Culture matters, and it's hard to see how TikTok can coexist over the long term alongside a litigious sales organization like Oracle. Maybe that explains why Oracle, unlike Walmart, isn't seeking a board seat at TikTok.

Go deeper: In Google/Oracle case, Supreme Court will weigh software's future

Go deeper

Margaret Harding McGill, Ashley Gold
Dec 17, 2020 - Technology

State antitrust suits pile on Google

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

State attorneys-general have opened two new fronts in the legal war on Google: A Texas-led lawsuit targeted the company's advertising business Wednesday, and another suit Thursday led by Colorado and Nebraska is expected to take aim at Google's search practices.

Why it matters: The antitrust complaints, following an October suit by the Justice Department, set up the internet's dominant search and advertising powerhouse for what's likely to be years of conflict in multiple courts.

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Erica Pandey, author of @Work
Dec 16, 2020 - Economy & Business

A year of monumental change in the workplace

Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios

In less than a year, the pandemic shot us more than a decade ahead in the workplace transformation.

The big picture: The pandemic's acceleration of telecommuting has changed much more than the way we attend meetings. We'll see lasting impacts on company culture, the job market, demographics and cities.

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Russell Contreras
14 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Resurrecting Martin Luther King's office

King points to Selma, Alabama on a map at his Southern Christian Leadership Conference office in Atlanta in January 1965. Photo: Bettmann/Getty Contributor

Efforts to save the office where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., planned some of the most important moments of the civil rights movement are hitting roadblocks amid a political stalemate.

Why it matters: The U.S. Park Service needs to OK agreements so a developer restoring the historic Prince Hall Masonic Lodge in Atlanta — which once housed King's Southern Christian Leadership Conference — can tap into private funding and begin work.

Go deeper (2 min. read)Arrow