Can someone give the background of why Google did what they did? Did they want to block Java compatibility or was that a side effect of some other objective?
Android started back when Sun was still independent and they failed to formalize the IP relationship with Sun. Google could have nabbed Sun if they wanted, but it was of no value to them when Oracle swooped in.
> In November 2006, Sun open-sources Java.
>In November 2007, Sun approves Google's use of Java in Android.
> April of 2009, Oracle Corp. announced that it would be acquiring Sun
Subsequently Oracle figured it could get some money from Google by requiring a license fee
http://www.zdnet.com/article/the-real-history-of-java-and-an...
It gets more complicted though, see http://www.zdnet.com/article/the-real-history-of-java-and-an... and a bunch of other stuff