Yes - for those not following the trial, the judge has told the jury that SSO are copyrightable, and if the jury finds against Google, then the judge will decide whether or not SSO actually is copyrightable. So he may render their decision moot.
Basically he's giving the jury a chance to render a narrower verdict rather than answer the broader SSO question outright.
Basically he's giving the jury a chance to render a narrower verdict rather than answer the broader SSO question outright.