Google LLC v. Oracle America, Inc.
Decided April 5, 2021. Stephen Gerald Breyer delivered the opinion of the Court.
Docket 18-956 · 593 U.S. 1 (2021) · Cited 7 times
Holding
Google’s limited copying of the Java SE Application Programming Interface allowed programmers to put their accrued talents to work in a transformative program and constituted a fair use of that material under copyright law.
The Court’s statement of the holding, from the opinion’s syllabus. The syllabus is prepared by the Reporter of Decisions and is not part of the opinion of the Court. Read the official opinion for authority.
How the Justices voted
Decided 6–2.
Majority · 6
- John G. Roberts, Jr.
- Sonia Sotomayor
- Elena Kagan
- Neil M. Gorsuch
- Brett M. Kavanaugh
- Stephen G. Breyer · delivered the opinion of the Court
Dissenting · 2
- Clarence Thomas · filed a dissenting opinion
- Samuel A. Alito, Jr.
Did not participate · 1
“Concurring” means agreeing with the outcome; any split shown is the Court’s judgment, not each Justice’s reasoning. The lineup is the syllabus’s disposition of who wrote and joined each opinion. Source: the opinion’s syllabus (supremecourt.gov).
Precedents cited
Supreme Court decisions this opinion relies on, ordered by how often it cites each. Cases in our collection link through; others are named.
- Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc. · 510 U.S. 569 (1994)
- Harper & Row, Publishers, Inc. v. Nation Enterprises · 471 U.S. 539 (1985)
- Feist Publications, Inc. v. Rural Telephone Service Co. · 499 U.S. 340 (1991)
- MARKMAN Et Al. v. WESTVIEW INSTRUMENTS, INC., Et Al. · 517 U.S. 370 (1996)
- Baker v. Selden · 101 U.S. 99 (1880)
- Sony Corp. of America v. Universal City Studios, Inc. · 464 U.S. 417 (1984)
- TWENTIETH CENTURY MUSIC CORP. Et Al. v. AIKEN · 422 U.S. 151 (1975)
- Gasperini v. Center for Humanities, Inc. · 518 U.S. 415 (1996)
- United States v. Williams · 553 U.S. 285 (2008)
- United States v. Detroit Timber & Lumber Co. · 200 U.S. 321 (1906)
- Mazer v. Stein · 347 U.S. 201 (1954)
- Radlax Gateway Hotel, LLC v. Amalgamated Bank · 566 U.S. 639 (2012)
- Stewart v. Abend · 495 U.S. 207 (1990)
- Neely v. Martin K. Eby Construction Co., Inc. · 386 U.S. 317 (1967)
Official text
Read the official opinion (PDF, supremecourt.gov)
Explore from here
Stephen Gerald Breyer’s profile · All Supreme Court opinions · The Supreme Court
Source: Supreme Court of the United States, slip opinions (2021). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-08-15. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).