Google wanted partnership with Sun: Android project leader admits
Google’s Android project leader Andy Rubin admitted that the Internet firm originally wanted to hit a partnership with Sun Microsystems.
Mr. Rubin, the chief of Android development team, took the witness stand on April 23 to answer questions by Oracle's lead counsel David Boies. Redwood Shores-based Oracle has long been accusing Google of knowing infringing on Java.
In response to a question, Mr. Rubin admitted, “We were in discussion with Sun for quite some time. Partnership was my main objective.”
But Google never partnered with Sun to get access to its Java software, which is at the core of the dispute between Google and Oracle, which automatically gained rights to Java when acquired Sun in January 2010 for $7.4 billion.
Earlier on April 16, Oracle lawyer Michael Jacobs revealed some Google emails from 2005 before the jury, showing that Mr. Rubin sent an email to Google co-founder Larry Page suggesting him to purchase a license for Java and its APIs from Sun.
However on April 18, Google chief executive Larry Page testified that the company made use of only free open source Java code and tools.
Oracle wants hundreds of millions of dollars in damages from Google, and an injunction that will force the Internet giant to pay license fees for using Java or to find a substitute to the software.
