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Oracle wants to question Google’s Larry Page in Android patent lawsuit

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Wall Street got to question the usually reclusive Larry Page on Thursday.

Now Oracle Corp. wants its shot at questioning Google Inc.’s new chief executive in high-stakes patent litigation that has pitted the two tech giants against each other.

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Oracle sued Google last year in federal court, claiming its Android mobile device software infringes on Oracle’s Java patents which it picked up in 2010 when it bought Sun Microsystems. Oracle is seeking billions of dollars in damages.


In a court filing Thursday, Oracle asked to take Page’s deposition because he was the one who decided to buy the company that made the Android software and because he participated in negotiations between Sun Microsystems and Google and in later discussions with Oracle Chief Executive Larry Ellison.

Oracle also noted that Google has said it wants to depose Ellison.

Google is fighting the request to have Oracle depose the Google co-founder who took over as chief executive in April, saying it amounts to harassment.

An Oracle spokeswoman declined to comment. A Google spokesman declined to comment.

‘I believe Oracle has a pretty good chance because the judge presiding over the case has shown -- in a notice filed on Tuesday -- an exceptionally strong interest in exactly the issues on which Mr. Page could testify,’ wrote intellectual property analyst Florian Müller in a blog post. ‘According to Oracle, he was involved in Java licensing talks, and Google doesn’t appear to dispute the fact of his involvement.’

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