A federal jury in Oakland handed Larry Ellison's company a mega legal victory today when it ordered SAP to pay Oracle $1.3 billion.
The jury sided with Oracle in a copyright infringement case that accused SAP of stealing customer support documents and software in a scheme to steal customers.
The trial stretched across four weeks. Deliberation took less than a day.
Although its a win for Oracle, the Associated Press points out the company had been demanding double the $1.3B figure.
SAP admitted that a subsidiary stole the documents, but claimed it owed something in the realm of $40 million.
The trial featured famed lawyer David Boies representing Oracle. Following the verdict he told reporters this is "by far" the largest penalty they have seen in a copyright infringement case.
"We had the facts and we had the law," Boies told the Mercury News. "I think the jury reached a verdict that was compelled by the facts and the law."
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Market Watch posted a statement from an SAP spokesman that said, "We are, of course, disappointed by this verdict and will pursue all available options, including post-trial motions and appeal if necessary."
