US: Oracle countersued for Solaris support monopoly

Hardware and software engineering giant Oracle has reportedly been hit with a countersuit on claims the firm sought an illegal monopoly on support services for operating system Solaris, say reports.

Oracle had first filed a lawsuit against support providers Maintech and Terix in 2013 on claims they violated Oracle’s copyright on software code to offer Solaris support.

But Terix, which denied any wrongdoing, has filed a countersuit against Oracle on claims the company “has pursued a deliberate policy of attempting to eliminate competition in the market for the maintenance and support of computer hardware running the Solaris operating system.” The lawsuit also accuses Oracle of pursuing a monopoly on Solaris support to the detriment of consumers, according to court filings.

Oracle declined to comment on the matter, reports say.

A federal judge had dismissed part of Oracle’s lawsuit against the firms earlier this month, though conserved other claims, including copyright infringement.

Full content: Computer World

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