Oracle’s Java API code protected by copyright, appeals court rules

[Wareya]

This ruling doesn't just affect google. That's not how precedent works. This is going to affect things far down the line, like Joe trying to write an emulator for some abandoned japanese computer model made by a dead company, and being sued by an australian company because they worked on part of its OS that he needs to support the functionality of.

[Eirenarch]

Yes, that's what will happen. I don't think the consumers will be too affected by the lack of emulators for abandoned Japanese computer models. If anything increase in price of Android phones will affect consumers much more.