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Finally, some really good news from the lawsuit front. Oracle’s case against Google has been touted by many as the lawsuit that could effectively put an end to the platform. I hated that talk, but any point I’d raise would more often than not be brushed aside in any debate because of my “fanboyism”.
I’ve got to admit, though, that the case did worry me a bit. The amount Oracle first demanded, a huge $6.1 billion, did make me nervy. But fortunately enough one by one Oracle’s claims are being brushed aside and the company’s demands now stand at under a quarter of a billion.
If you’ve got the time, do read the post over at Groklaw detailing the entire episode. What really stood out for me, and this is what most of the cynics of the value Oracle put on the case in the first place, is that Oracle’s damages expert Dr. Ian Cockburn has repeatedly overstated the value of these patents. Oracle bought Sun, outright with all of their assets, for $7.4 billion. So that means they valued 5 out of some 500 Java patents plus everything else Sun owned at over 80% of the Sun’s value.
As we’ve grown so accustomed to, the tech “journalists” absolutely loved the opportunity to show Android as possibly meeting its doom. Had they put the slightest of thought into the episode, they’d know Oracle never stood a chance to get as much. Heck, Dr. Cockburn’s third revision of the value (yes, third, strange an expert gets it wrong so often) stands in the $110-225 million range, and Google still claims they’re asking for too much.
Dr. Cockburn’s third report begins, as his second report did, with the negotiations Google and Sun conducted in early 2006 for a technology partnership to develop a mobile smartphone platform. As before, Dr. Cockburn uses as his monetary starting point Sun’s initial February 2006 demand, which he calculates at $98.7 million, rather than Sun’s final demand in April 2006 of $28 million.”
Groklaw tends to agree with Google’s stance, and again I’d suggest you to read their post if you’ve got the time.
google won’t give up on their platform, even if they had to pay the 6.1 billion, I am sure they will. android will pay back in no time
From my following of the case so far, I would speculate that in the end it may be no more than a few (low number) hundred million. A small price for Google to pay to make this nonsense disappear forever. And that, I think, may be worst case.
Of course, an ignorant non-technical jury can decide otherwise.
Fishing for royalties as usual just like Microsoft has been. Android is here to stay, you can’t stop its momentum. Yes, I’m talking to you Apple.
13 whole minutes before someone commented about apple. That has to be a new record high.
I heard al gore was up next in line to sue google for making a smartphone that can access the internet
I can’t get over the experts name… Lol
Hey raveesh love the articles and weekend news you guys are providing. I just have one request… Please proofread and spell check your articles before posting. Although I am able to read through both you and edgars articles, I find myself having to read sentences 2 or 3 times to guess what you were trying to say. Besides that guys keep up the good work!
Will do, Pierre. Apologies for the mistakes.
At last no Florian citations….. I wonder where he is now that this case is going down in flames.
You’re so right! Florian is the MG Siegler of the Patent world. Crazy how credible news sources are referencing him, not knowing he’s a Microsoft Shill. Groklaw is the place to go for the good info.
I really don’t see this one going anywhere. They just want a quick easy pay day, probably the reason they bought Sun in the first place.
Remember early on how Florian Microsoft of FOSS Patents came out touting the strength of Oracle’s case?
Remember that, next time you want to consider how credible he is.
With FOSS “friends” like the FOSS patents blog, who needs enemies?
forian muller guy said 6.1 billion is just a start and actual damages will be much higher… the guy is paid by Oracle to mislead public and jury.
Btw, real pain hasn’t come for Oracle. Java code is open source and published in the Internet at Oracle web site (openjdk.net). Oracle’s intentions are contradictory!