Google (GOOG), Oracle (ORCL) Legal Battle Will Get Ugly

In light of the past actions of Oracle (NASDAQ:ORCL) when it enters into the legal arena, it's going to be a rough, legal street fight between them and Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) over the alleged unlicensed use of Java technology.

When Oracle bought Sun Microsystems, arguably to control the rights to the Java language, Java godfather James Gosling didn't want any part of it. Now he's got a job in Mountain View, and while Gosling says he doesn't know what he'll be working on, you can bet a pretty penny that he'll see a great deal of Android action and become very familiar with Google's legal eagles.

Gosling has made no secret of his disdain for Oracle and its charismatic leader, Larry Ellison. After leaving Oracle, he detailed his fears about Sun's Solaris platform and assorted Java projects meeting a sordid fate. He drew parallels between Ellison and Genghis Khan, and noted that "Ethics and consistency aren't exactly the LPOD's reputation." So what's an LPOD? "Larry, Prince Of Darkness," of course.

So Gosling has both the background to make a difference to the Android defense, and an axe to grind that's big enough to keep him motivated.

Google closed Tuesday at $581.73, gaining $6.37, or 1.11 percent. Oracle closed at $33.16, up $0.60, or 1.86 percent.




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Google (GOOG) Hires Java Daddy James Gosling

Who's your daddy? If you're asking that above Java, the answer would be James Gosling, who has been hired by Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) after becoming a free agent once he left Oracle.

Gosling quit Sun Microsystems a few short months after being acquired by Oracle (NASDAQ:ORCL).

He said on his blog about working for Google: "I don't know what I'll be working on. I expect it'll be a bit of everything, seasoned with a large dose of grumpy curmudgeon."

This is an interesting part of the narrative of the ongoing battle between Google and Oracle, whereby Oracle sued the search giant in the summer of 2010 for infringement on the patents used in the Java development platform, saying Android software is "borrowed" from them.

Google closed Monday at $575.36, falling $4.38, or 0.76 percent. Oracle closed at $32.56, dropping $0.08, or 0.26 percent.