Sun Handed Victory in Software Copyright Lawsuit

Another interesting copyright case, a Chinese programmer sued Sun for copyright infringement. Sun purchased 1000 licenses for some software, but made 7000 copies. Sun vowed to cause personal financial problems for the guy and U.S. district judge Martin J. Jenkins and Magistrate Judge Elizabeth D. Laporte ordered the guy to pay Sun $219,949.00. The judges took issues that the guy also sued two high level Sun executives. What is funny was the poor dude's legal mumbo jumbo:

There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's own safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he was sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn't have to; but if he didn't want to he was sane and had to. Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle.

"That's some catch, that Catch-22," he observed.

"It's the best there is," Doc Daneeka agreed.

Rhodes v. Robinson, 380 F.3d 1123, 1129 (9th Cir. 2004) (quoting Joseph Heller, Catch-22, at 47 (6th ed. 1976)). Catch-22 is a trap with no way out. The Chinese also setup a online Petition for his copyright appeal at the Ninth Circuit Court of California.

Sun must be very proud, but winning a $200K jackpot won't help improving its market cap, which is falling below that of Nvidia. The only winners seem to be the lawyers, who are normally good at milking female cows.

(Updated August 30)