In an ironic twist, Oracle revealed on Monday that it is seeking information from archenemy Microsoft to buttress its defense against an antitrust lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Oracle will request that Microsoft furnish insight into its plans to expand its share of the business applications software market, Oracle spokeswoman Jennifer Glass confirmed. The Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Oracle last week to block the company"s $9.4 billion hostile acquisition bid for PeopleSoft. Oracle intends to challenge the suit, which contends that a buyout would leave large companies with only two software suppliers, Oracle and Germany-based SAP, to choose from and that prices would rise as a result.
The irony of the situation is that Oracle Chief Executive Larry Ellison was among the most outspoken critics of Microsoft during the Redmond, Wash., company"s own antitrust trial, which was led by the same agency now blocking Oracle"s expansion plans. At the time, Ellison advocated the breakup of Microsoft into separate companies, and he remains fond of referring to Microsoft as a "convicted monopolist" in speeches. A Microsoft representative declined to comment on the matter or to say whether the company has received any requests from Oracle, its lawyers or the Department of Justice.