Oracle refuting Google's sanctions over disclosed confidental information

As I’m sure most of our readers know, earlier in the year, Google and Oracle engaged in a federal court battle regarding if Android infringes on copyright code owned by Oracle and its Java APIs. It was a weighty accusation, but in the end, Google landed a victory on a ruling that Android’s code is indeed ‘fair use’. We would’ve thought the feud would end there, but shortly after, Oracle found itself in a deeper conflict than it bargained for. Part of its court fight involved its lawyers revealing sensitive financial information that Google was not yet ready to share with the world. As a result, sanctions from Google sought for hefty fees for the injustice.

The new quarrel appears to be heating up, as Oracle is not taking those allegations sitting down. According to a new report from Ars Technica, Oracle has responded with court papers that argue that the sensitive disclosures were made “in response to probing questions” and were “on-the-fly rebuttal of mischaracterizations made by Google’s counsel.” The company simply doesn’t believe that a sanction applies in this circumstance, where the information aided an argument in the case and was not just in ‘bad faith’.

It is said that Google has 10 days to respond, and the companies are set to meet up in the court room once again to fight over the matter. Google will reportedly settle if it’s reimbursed court expenses, in which a dispute at this level adds up to about $3.9 billion. Of course that is a sum Oracle is hoping to avoid paying.

Stay tuned to see how things develop. What do you think about the whole ordeal? Share your thoughts down in the comments.