February 20, 2012 - In December, the Patent Office rejected 17 of the 21 claims in the process of reexamining a patent Oracle alleged Google was infringing. Now Oracle has dropped that patent, U.S. Patent No. 6,192,476, from the lawsuit.
With the weakened '476 patent out of the suit, five patents remain at issue - and Oracle's requested damages are very likely to be lower. Judge William Alsup allowed Oracle to submit a third and final damages report, admonishing the plaintiff to "adopt a proper damages methodology" and avoid "stratospheric numbers."
The trial is expected to take place in about two months.