Oracle to depose Google's CEO in patent lawsuit ( Android threatened?)

CNET ^ | July 22, 2011 5:41 AM PDT | Lance Whitney

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Google Chief Executive Larry Page has been ordered to testify before the court as part of an ongoing lawsuit in which Oracle has accused the search giant of infringing on its patents for Java.

Google CEO Larry Page(Credit: Google)

The order yesterday by Judge Donna Ryu of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California states that "Oracle may depose Mr. Page for a maximum of two hours, excluding breaks, solely on topics relevant to the willfulness of Defendant's alleged patent infringement, and the value of Android to Defendant," according to a blog published today by FOSS Patents' Florian Mueller.

By putting Google's new chief executive in the middle of the case, the order turns up the heat on a lawsuit that's already got plenty. Android faces several patent challenges--in particular those Apple has filed against Android handset makers such as HTC and Samsung. Patent infringement findings could raise the costs of using Google's ostensibly free operating system. And the Oracle suit is a distraction for Page as he tries to improve Google's product focus.

Late last week, Oracle submitted its request to Ryu to depose Page, a request that Mueller said had a "pretty good chance" of being approved since the judge has a particular interest and suspicions over the "question of willful infringement."

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

fyi

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Related article at CNET:

Oracle demands $2.6 billion from Google

And:

Oracle and Microsoft could cash in big on Android

[for-q-clinton]

I think Apple is going after them as well. Google really screwed up with Android. It’s going to cost them more money than they can make from it.

[Cedar]

He looks like a freshman in college in that picture.