Oracle And Google Head To April Trial After Settlement Talks Collapse

Google and Oracle have been told to prepare for their trial presentations after settlement talks between the two parties broke down.

The two tech giants had been trying to come to a payout agreement after Oracle alleged Google breached copyright and infringed on patents in building the Android operating system.

Failed negotiations

Last week it was revealed that Google offered Oracle 0.5 percent of Android revenue on a patent that expires this December and 0.0015 percent on another that is valid until April 2018. Additionally, the search giant said it would pay out $2.8 million for past damages if it lost the court case.

Oracle rejected the offer as being inadequate, particularly as the company initially filed a claim for £2.6 billion in damages.

Monday’s filing by a US magistrates court judge means that a court will have to determine whether Oracle is entitled to any compensation and/or cut of Android’s revenues.

“Despite their diligent efforts and those of their able counsel, the parties have reached an irreconcilable impasse in their settlement discussions with the undersigned,” Judge Paul Grewal wrote. “No further conferences shall be convened. The parties should instead direct their entire attention to the preparation of their trial presentations.”

The trial is set to begin on 16 April and is expected to last eight weeks. The court will hear Oracle’s copyright allegations over the unauthorised usage of Java in the Android OS as well as claims that Google infringed on two patents.

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