The marvellous, mechanical, mouse organ
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Larry Ellison and Larry Page will appear at Android settlement talks
TWO OF THE BIGGEST NAMES in information technology, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison and Google CEO Larry Page, will have to appear at mediation talks over Oracle's patent lawsuit against Google's Android operating system.
Oracle is suing Google over its Android operating system, claiming that Android infringes its patents. The lawsuit Android has been rumbling on for a while, with Oracle earlier having tried to get Larry Page ordered to appear for a deposition.
Now it seems Oracle's wish has been granted, but only after its CEO, Larry Ellison, was also ordered by US Magistrate Judge Paul Grewal to turn up for a mediation discussion. Both companies had agreed to send senior executives to the settlement meeting but now the two CEOs will have to appear.
Grewal's order said, "The party representatives required to attend this and any further conference include, but are not limited to, Larry Ellison of Oracle and Larry Page of Google."
Oracle has asked for billions in damages from Google, claiming that it did not obtain a licence for Java technologies used in its Android operating system. Oracle also wants the court to order the destruction of any products that infringe its patents.
It is unlikely that Oracle will be able to get a judge to destroy all of the products that it claims infringe its patents. It is far more likely that either these or future settlement talks will end up with the two parties reaching some sort of licensing agreement.
The trial between Google and Oracle over Java and Android is set to begin on 31 October.
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I suspect Oracle would like to license Java to Google for Android in some manner. But first, they want to punish them for the perceived breach of their Intellectual Property rights.
"It is unlikely that Oracle will be able to get a judge to destroy all of the products that it claims infringe its patents."
Why so? Assuming - and it's a big assume - that the case is valid, it seems like an exemplary remedy.
Evidrently Oracle wants to destroy Android punitively. If it didn't, they'd have made a deal. Or demanded a licence fee like Microsoft - yes, for Android.
Why Oracle wants to destroy Android - I'm not sure. Besides it allegedly infringing Java intellectual property, I mean. And as a happy Android device user, I'm troubled.
Maybe what dominates Oracle's actions is: Google is prosperous. Damages could be a fantastic sum, and get paid.
But it does seem to me that IF Android is an illegal bootleg of Java, then it'll go down like Napster and Limewire. They had happy users as well. Not any more.