Oracle Rejects Google Offer in Patent Dispute (ORCL, GOOG)

In August 2010, Oracle Corp. (NASDAQ: ORCL) filed suit against Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) for patent infringements on the Java programming language the Oracle acquired with its purchase of Sun Microsystems. The lawsuit sought an injunction against further sales of smartphones using Google’s Android operating system plus statutory and treble damages.

Several of Oracle’s claims in the suit have been dismissed, but Google offered to settle the remaining claims for $2.8 million on the remaining patents and future payments on two more patents if the courts ruled in Oracle’s favor on the patent dispute. This would have saved the companies from arguing over damages. Oracle rejected the settlement offer:

Oracle cannot agree to unilaterally give up its rights, on appeal and in this court, to seek full redress for Google’s unlawful conduct.

The case is scheduled to go to trial on April 16th and the judge has said that any settlement must be agreed by April 13th in order to prevent inconvenience to potential jurors.

Paul Ausick