The Oracle v. Google clash of the titans has been dragging on for years now, but the case may soon be over: Google has filed a petition for the US Supreme Court to make a final ruling, with huge implications for the tech world.

The case centers around Android

The case centers around Android — specifically, whether Google infringed on Oracle copyright by using Oracle-owned Java APIs in the operating system without permission. There's legal minutiae abound here, but to put it simply, Google has argued that the APIs are simply a means of working with systems and can't be copyrighted, while Oracle says its code is an original, copyrightable work. After Google won the case in a lower court, an appeals court partially (and controversially) overturned the ruling. If the Supreme Court declines to hear the case, that ruling stands.

The implications of the case could be enormous. As Google and others have argued, much of modern technology has been built around the idea that APIs, which allow programs to communicate across platforms, are openly available. An Oracle victory may set a precedent that opens the door to other lawsuits.

A response from the Court is due on November 7th. If they take up the case, expect much more from the battle.