Oracle Vs. Google, Week One

It was Larry vs. Larry as two powerful chief executives of two of the most successful tech companies squared off in court in person.

The rare appearance of two chiefs squaring off was part of a civil court trial that began this week. Oracle and Google are fighting over whether Google’s Android operating system violates copyright on Java, the open-source computing language that Oracle got when it acquired Sun Microsystems. It may last a while, but within a couple of days the arguments are clear. Oracle says Google went out of its way to avoid getting a license to use Java, and has shared internal Google e-mails to suggest as much. Google says Java is free, and cites an Oracle post to that effect. Therefore, Google says, we don’t need a license. In terms of trial theater, the best stuff was probably the sight of the two Larrys: Larry Ellison, Oracle chief executive, and Larry Page, Google chief executive, making their respective cases. Mr. Ellison was, by most accounts, smooth, if occasionally tripped up by Google’s lawyers about whether or not Java was free. Mr. Page toed the company line, repeatedly stating, “we did nothing wrong.”