Expert Witness Blog

Oracle said Wednesday that it has sued software expert SAP "about corporate theft on a grand scale" seeking undisclosed damages. Oracle also argues that the theft formed the basis of SAP's "Safe Passage" program, which is designed to entice Oracle customers to switch to SAP.

As alleged in the complaint:

Oracle brings this lawsuit after discovering that SAP is engaged in systematic, illegal access to – and taking from – Oracle’s computerized customer support systems. Through this scheme, SAP has stolen thousands of proprietary, copyrighted software products and other confidential materials that Oracle developed to service its own support customers."

This case will likely be a battle of software experts, intellectual property experts, and computer expert witnesses. Vinnie Mirchandani, who testified for Peoplesoft during its suite against Oracle during the hostile takeover process, said in his blog that the suit "a sad day for the industry...I saw the two sides spend $250 million in legal fees. Customers suffered as both sides were distracted for a long time."