Oracle versus Hewlett-Packard: A case of Hurd labour
Two technology titans squabble over HP’s former boss
LARRY ELLISON, the chief executive of Oracle, likes a fight. Shortly after Hewlett-Packard (HP) parted company with its then CEO, Mark Hurd, last month amid claims he had filed inaccurate expense reports that appeared to conceal a relationship with a female contractor, Mr Ellison blasted its board for making what he dubbed “the worst personnel decision since the idiots on the Apple board fired Steve Jobs many years ago”. Now Mr Ellison’s bid to profit from HP’s loss has triggered both a lawsuit and a fresh bout of mudslinging.
On September 6th Oracle announced it had hired Mr Hurd and given him a seat on the software behemoth’s board. The following day HP launched a lawsuit in California against Mr Hurd, seeking to block his move to Oracle on the ground that he would inevitably disclose HP’s trade secrets to his new employer. As well as giving Mr Ellison another reason to lambast HP’s behaviour, the suit is also a sign of growing tension between technology firms as they venture beyond their traditional markets. ...
