Let's assume Oracle wins on appeal... What's next? Is everyone suddenly writing .Net code? Or are we left to find languages with lapsed copyrights? Fortran IV and Snobol are the new hotness! Everyone in to the pool!
It depends on the details of the ruling (the court could decide to pass such a narrow judgement that it only affects Oracle). Here is an analysis of how the rulings (up until now) affect the software world: http://www.zerobugsandprogramfaster.net/essays/x-1.html
Oh don't worry, Oracle are one step ahead with JavaScript. They launched this Twitter account last week: https://twitter.com/javascript .. and for a week they posted loads of Java stuff on it and haven't failed to point out in replies that they own JavaScript's trademark. The picture of their headquarters is also a nice touch.
Even Fortran, C and C++ compilers depend on the work that a few corporations like Apple, Google, Intel, Microsoft,... put working on the compilers and sending employees to ANSI meetings.
Hiring the staff and handling the lawsuit - Google has their own in-house law firm anyways - has likely worked out to be cheaper for them than buying Sun Microsystems would have been.
Yes, but the downside on a lawsuit if Oracle prevails will be much worse.
Imagine, if you will, all that Sun IP in the hands of Google instead of Oracle. ZFS might have gotten a license friendlier to Linux, Solaris could have stayed open source, and I would put money on Google having spun Java out into a completely open foundation that wouldn't have done what Oracle has done with new EE versions.
It won't be just Java 'dying.'