Oracle Corp. has recently filed lawsuit against its competitor SAP on the allegations that its German competitor has clandestinely and illegally acquired proprietary materials from the Redwood City giant’s customer support Web site. Oracle has accused SAP of hacking into its computers to steal classified and confidential product information in the lawsuit. The latest development is expected to escalate the bitterness that had already been building between the two of the world’s largest business software makers.
The lawsuit was filed in a San Francisco federal court that has alleged that Germany-based SAP resorted to high-tech skullduggery in a desperate attempt to maintain its leadership in business applications software programs, which helps companies to manage a variety of administrative tasks. Oracle further elaborated that SAP has used its customers’ log-in information to obtain more than 10,000 unauthorized downloads of software and supporter materials related to hundreds of programs.
In the meanwhile, Steve Bauer, SAP’s vice president of global communications, has said the company just learnt about the suit this morning, and had no immediate comment. However, the Financial Times has reported that people close to SAP were unconcerned of suggestions that it or any of its subsidiaries were involved in any unlawful activity. They further argued that Oracle appeared unsettled by SAP’s competitive edge and was now resorting to unjustified legal means to try to hinder the German company.
Oracle has spent close to $20 billion for buying software rivals over the past three years to challenge SAP, the leader in corporate applications. The firm at present is seeking an injunction against SAP, as well as unspecified general and punitive damages.
