Oracle and Google CEOs fail to agree on Android

A MEETING BETWEEN the CEOs of Google and Oracle has failed to solve the firms' ongoing row over Android, Java patents and cash.

The face to face meeting was arranged after it was suggested by the judge presiding over the case. Even when the mediation was agreed things did not go well, as in the end it was up to US Magistrate Judge Paul Grewal to force Larry Ellison and Larry Page to turn up for the discussion.

Both companies had agreed to send senior executives to the settlement meeting but the judge ruled that the top executives had to appear.

Both parties had already been accused of behaving badly and asking for the moon in court, so we can only assume that the meeting was not all that cosy. According to the Wall Street Journal they failed to agree during talks on Monday and so must face more discussions.

These are set for today, but it is unknown whether the two Larrys will attend.

So far the arguments in court have been something of a squabble. Oracle has accused Google of ripping off Java code wholesale and has asked for the moon on a stick in damages. It has tried to haul Google CEO Larry Page in for questioning, and although that failed Oracle did succeed in getting that fact repeatedly mentioned in discussions of its claims.

In May US District Court Judge William Alsup complained that both parties were behaving unreasonably and rejected Oracle's claims for billions in damages. "You're both asking for the moon and you should be more reasonable," he said. µ