In what some are calling the "World Series of intellectual property trials", or "Larry vs. Larry" if you're nasty, the tech world's two 8-gajillion pound gorillas are set to square off in court over a meaty piece of intellectual property. The IP in question: Java, the ubiquitous software platform that Oracle gobbled up in 2010's phagocytosis of Sun Microsystems. According to Oracle's lawyers, the Google hivemind ripped off several Java patents when it included a handful of Java API calls and lines of source code while building it's Android operating system. more ›

Typically held on the last weekend in September, milquetoast sex and fetish fete Folsom Street Fair will move its date for the first time in 20 years. Next year's butt blowout will take place on Sunday, September 23. Why? Well, according to queer publication The Bay Area Reporter, it's because of Oracle OpenWorld. "Organizers opted to move the festival, which draws hundreds of thousands of people each year, to avoid a scheduling conflict with Oracle OpenWorld, which will run September 30 through October 4." more ›

As part of their recent crackdown on bad bike behavior, SFPD once again butt heads with bike commuters, this time at Fourth and King Street. The savvy cyclists at Streetsblog reported cops around the Caltrain station were issuing tickets for bikers riding on the sidewalk last week, but ignoring the fleet of taxicabs illegally parked in bike lanes around the station. Naturally, the selective enforcement left riders with a bad taste in their water bottles. Injury was added to insult today as Caltrain riders arrived at the station to find a fleet of Oracle-sponsored pedicabs hogging up sidewalk real estate around Fourth and Townsend. more ›

"It's a billionaire's regatta. Why are we going out to raise $270 million for Larry fucking Ellison?" asked Supervisor Chris Daly at a recent press conference. What's he talking about? This: San Francisco's plan to raise $270 million so that Larry Ellison and his BMW Oracle racing team will select S.F. as the next city to host the America's Cup. And Daly is none too thrilled, saying that the city is "using the people's money so that a billionaire can have his yacht race." more ›

"Sitting & Waiting" by Troy Holden. more ›

Citing his incomparable "relevant experience" at HP, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison just hired Ex-HP CEO Mark Hurd as the software company's new co-president. Hurd, if you recall, resigned in August amid allegations of sexual harassment. Ellison was very vocal in support of Hurd, slamming the fallout as nothing more than "cowardly corporate political correctness." more ›

Over the next year, and due to Oracle's takeover, Sun Microsystems plans on eradicating over 3,000 jobs. According to CBS 5/BCN, "They are the latest in a series of job cuts at the server and software maker, whose prolonged financial troubles led to the $7.4 billion deal with Oracle in April." Good luck out there, Sun folks. more ›

So who would have imagined the scene we stumbled across at the Oracle festival at Moscone Center today. We know the 60s are long past, and since Jerry's departure the search for a "Miracle Ticket" seems to occur more often at pro sports events than a jam band concert, but we were still shocked and awed (or at least amused) to see this scene on Howard Street. Can anyone help out these poor hippies? more ›

While this year's Oracle OpenWorld '09 bash -- which is expected to draw an estimated 40,000 Larry Ellison customers, employees, and assorted fans -- will close down Howard Street between Third and Fourth Streets. Please take note, reroute your drive accordingly. Oh, and Yerba Buena Gardens will, for the most part, be closed to plebeians like you until Thursday, when the conference ends. more ›

Doing what IBM failed to do earlier this month, Oracle will purchase computer server and software maker Sun Microsystems for around $7.4 billion, or $5.6 billion net of cash, 9.50 per share. Oracle megalord Larry Ellison boasted about the buy, saying in a statement, “Oracle will be the only company that can engineer an integrated system—applications to disk—where all the pieces fit and work together so customers do not have to do it themselves ... Our customers benefit as their systems integration costs go down while system performance, reliability and security go up.” This deal will also give Oracle control over Java programming language and Solaris. (Jason Brooks of eWEEK explains it all in finer detail, right here.)
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It's back. At this time every year, thee Moscone Center and St. Regis area gets stained with the Oracle OpenWorld conference. Last year we tried getting in, but were met with unhappy PR reps who ripped away our chances of getting into any open-bar parties, catered affairs, and a show featuring the bewitching Stevie Nicks by simply hanging up on our asses. This year, since our ego is fragile as century-old bone china, we didn't even try. more ›

Here at SFist, we don't like to name call -- mostly. But sometimes there are certain stories that we read with (a lot of) choice swear words on our tongue. So pardon us while we play this story as straight as we can; we'll leave the incendiary comments to you. more ›

We received a few messages this morning of sleeplessness regarding last night's Oracle Open World finale. Even the enchanting Stevie Nick's couldn't keep SF residents from calling the cops to ask what the hell was going on. more ›