Become a fan of Slashdot on Facebook

 



Forgot your password?
typodupeerror
×
Android Google Oracle The Courts Apache Your Rights Online

Oracle Subpoenas Apache Foundation In Google Suit 98

angry tapir writes "Oracle has subpoenaed the Apache Software Foundation in connection with its ongoing intellectual property suit against Google. Oracle filed suit against Google in August, alleging that its Android mobile operating system infringes on seven of Oracle's Java patents. Google has denied any wrongdoing. The subpoena, which was received by ASF on Monday, seeks 'the production of documents related to the use of Apache Harmony code in the Android software platform, and the unsuccessful attempt by Apache to secure an acceptable license to the Java SE Technology Compatibility Kit.'"
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.

Oracle Subpoenas Apache Foundation In Google Suit

Comments Filter:
  • by poetmatt ( 793785 ) on Thursday May 05, 2011 @10:02AM (#36035394) Journal

    considering that apache is pretty openly documented, subpoena'ing them is probably mostly useless. I mean they could probably point Oracle to their own wiki.

    • by binarylarry ( 1338699 ) on Thursday May 05, 2011 @10:05AM (#36035442)

      Yeah but you'd have to find someone at Oracle who knows how to use a web browser.

      You'd send them a URL and they'd spend 12 months and 10 million dollars writing a "program" in PL/SQL to access the wiki.

      • LOL.... Bingo!
      • by kestasjk ( 933987 ) * on Thursday May 05, 2011 @10:41AM (#36035902) Homepage
        That's just not true.. They would send over a team to run some workshops, evaluate the wiki's work processes, recommend an alternative ERP, reevaluate all competing systems, and charge for analysis, installation, maintenance, and travel, and then they'd spend 12 months and 10 million dollars writing a "program" in PL/SQL to access the wiki.

        But the accessed wiki would be hosted in Oracle's cloud storage, so you would need an extra few eBusiness modules to interface with that, plus service and bandwidth of course (not to mention consulting and security).

        Once it's all paid up (Oracle hosts your finance software, but it's just coincidence that they charge slightly less than you can possibly afford) you have the glory of an eBusiness form which ties the "WikiID" with all your "EmployeeID"s (it's called integration), and you can run all sorts of reports like "WikiIDs vs EmployeeIDs" or "Sum of WikiIDs vs EmployeeIDs", or even "Sum of WikiIDs vs EmployeeIDs two weeks ago".

        Your CFO will love it, the board will think it's vital, and we'll leech the hard won efficiency gains out of your business and use the money to kill cheap open-source competitors and fight innovation with lawyers.

        Welcome to eLogicStackEnterprise; an obsolete database powering a recently closed source stack supporting a thin layer of generic business logic supporting a veneer of customized business logic straining under a mountain of bullshit.
      • I can send them a .iso with Oracle PowerBrowser 1.0, if they have lost it... It has pre-javascript form evaluation *and* URL support.

        I got the CD on a very nice release event in Stockholm/Sweden during the early .com years. Those were the days!

      • nah, they'd probably just buy another company to do it for them...

    • by nomadic ( 141991 )
      Usually these kinds of subpoenas are looking for internal communications.
    • by John Hasler ( 414242 ) on Thursday May 05, 2011 @10:27AM (#36035700) Homepage

      The court wants to see the documents as delivered by Apache, not copies that Oracle's lawyers claim to have found on some Web site. Oracle also wants to see private communications between Apache and IBM. This is all very routine and reasonable in the circumstance. Apache will be compensated for their expenses and they can ask the judge to seal anything that they don't want in the public record.

      • I see nothing about communications between apache and IBM, in fact IBM isn't even referenced in the subpoena [apache.org]. Where do you come up with that?

        They want to see communications between apache and the OHA.

        • by jrumney ( 197329 )

          Where do you come up with that?

          Not the OP, but I'd guess its a case of "Oops, wrong baseless lawsuit against open source".

    • Oracle doesn't understand open source. Why are you surprised they subpoenaed Apache for Apache code (open) related to Android (open) about Java (open)? Obviously, they can't use Google to search for it, conflict of interest. Anyone want to e-mail them the http://www.bing.com/ [bing.com] link?

      • They're not looking for code, they're looking for documents.

      • You and everyone else who keeps saying "Oracle don't understand FOSS" are fucking idiots. Oracle damned well understands FOSS but they don't make much money off it. Their intention is to collaborate where necessary and move customers to the closed apps and systems, paying millions in license fees every year. To sweeten things they make all their software -- all of it -- available for free download so that customers, programmers and tech monkeys all can try it out and learn to use it. You only pay for what y
        • by kRutOn ( 28796 )

          Oracle is also one of the top Linux code contributors, popping in more code [linux.com] than even the Linux Foundation (see Table 9): Xen, YAST, NFS on IPv6, "data=guarded" for ext3, Asynchronous IO kernel subsystem, and more. Not surprisingly, most of what Oracle contributes is germane to Orafcle DB & apps, no different from every other contributor working on something he is specifically interested in or in need of.

          Oracle contributed Xen to Linux? The boys in Cambridge [wikipedia.org] are going to be scratching their heads at that one. Also, Novell is probably going to be alarmed that Oracle put their setup tool, YaST [wikipedia.org], into the kernel.

      • they can't use Google to search for it, conflict of interest. Anyone want to e-mail them the http://www.bing.com/ [bing.com] link?

        Don't think that will help either [zdnet.com].

  • "Google has denied any wrongdoing. "

    What else are they going to do?

    saying, "Yeah we did it but suck balls Oracle! NYAHH NYAHH!" typically will upset a judge.

  • by pla ( 258480 ) on Thursday May 05, 2011 @10:09AM (#36035504) Journal
    Strange... I didn't hear about Darl McBride joining the Oracle executive board.
  • Is Oracles attempt at suing Google to return the cost of buying Sun? and maybe making some money off of it too? /sigh
  • Comment removed based on user account deletion
  • -5 Rep (Score:3, Insightful)

    by jimmerz28 ( 1928616 ) on Thursday May 05, 2011 @10:19AM (#36035630)

    I wonder if anyone at Oracle realizes how they're continually mangling their image? I didn't ask if they care, simply if they realize it.

    • Re: (Score:2, Funny)

      by h4rr4r ( 612664 )

      The name of the company stands for One Rich Asshole Called Larry Ellison. Does that explain it to you?

    • I wonder if anyone at Oracle realizes how they're continually mangling their image?

      Most of the people upset at Oracle are not its customers and thus they probably couldn't give 2 shits.

      • by Anonymous Coward

        As one of their customers, I'm getting a kick from this.

        Due to their shoddy "support", we're currently divesting ourselves of as much Sun/Oracle equipment as we can.

        • Hey, if you are divesting yourselves of some Sparc equipment really cheap, I'd be happy to take some off your hands.

      • And then you have customers like my employer who are heavily invested in Oracle tech and are going to have a hard time getting away from it. But believe me, we are looking at doing our best to remove as much Oracle as we can. We just admit that we can't do a clean sweep (at least not yet).
      • You seem to think that none of today's writers will be tomorrow's decision makers.The first thing I would do after seeing an invoice from Oracle on my table would call a tech meeting to discuss how to reduce the reliance on them. And spin it off as cost cutting measures to the finance dept - they love it!
        And guess what? I'm already advising clients in removing as much Oracle as possible.
      • Plenty of the Oracle customers on HP-UX and VMS are not particularly happy with them right now...
        • Indeed, Oracle's power play to try to force HP-UX customers using Oracle software on to Solaris/SPARC resulted in us taking a long hard look at Linux on x86-64; and deciding that was the best path forward.

      • In many ways Oracle cares more about potential customers than existing customers. Switching away from Oracle is difficult, so existing customers often have little choice but to remain Oracle customers. The worst that existing customers can do is start trying to limit their use of Oracle software. Over time this will almost certainly translate to reduced revenues from the account, but Oracle execs (and salespeople) know that a lot can happen between deciding to move away from Oracle on principle and actua

  • by bogaboga ( 793279 ) on Thursday May 05, 2011 @10:43AM (#36035924)

    My request is for an informed and knowledgeable slashdotter to point readers to a site that potentially debunks each one of Oracle's patent infringement claims.

  • The 5 letter swear word.

A complex system that works is invariably found to have evolved from a simple system that works.

Working...