In 2016 which technology company lost high profile legal battles with both HP and Google over business and software disputes?

Difficulty: Medium

Correct Answer: Oracle

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
Large technology companies are often involved in complex legal disputes over contracts, intellectual property and antitrust issues. In 2016, one well known enterprise software company made headlines for losing two separate high profile cases involving HP and Google. General knowledge and business awareness questions sometimes ask you to identify this company because the events were widely covered in technology and financial media.


Given Data / Assumptions:

    - The year referred to is 2016. - The question notes that the company lost legal battles against both HP and Google. - The options are Oracle, Apple, Microsoft and Intel. - We assume familiarity with major corporate litigation involving these firms.


Concept / Approach:
Oracle, a major enterprise software and database company, was involved in two notable disputes around that period. One was a legal battle with HP relating to Oracle decision to discontinue support for Itanium processors, where the court ruling went against Oracle. The other was the long running Oracle versus Google case over the use of Java application programming interfaces in the Android operating system. In important phases of that case, courts also ruled in favour of Google. This combination of defeats led news outlets to highlight Oracle as the company that lost high profile legal battles with both HP and Google.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify which of the options have been publicly known to litigate against both HP and Google around that time. Step 2: Recall that Oracle sued Google over the alleged misuse of Java application programming interfaces in Android and lost key rounds of that case. Step 3: Remember that HP and Oracle had a major dispute over Oracle support for the Itanium processor, resulting in an adverse ruling for Oracle. Step 4: Apple legal disputes during that period were primarily with Samsung and government regulators, not simultaneously with HP and Google in the way described. Step 5: Microsoft and Intel also faced various legal issues but are not noted for losing significant cases against both HP and Google in 2016, so select Oracle.


Verification / Alternative check:
Business news summaries and technology law commentaries from that period mention an HP versus Oracle verdict where the court ruled that Oracle was wrong to drop support for Itanium, obliging it to continue support. The same sources also describe Oracle setbacks in its lawsuit against Google over Java. Exam oriented current affairs books often condense these stories into a single sentence stating that Oracle lost high profile legal battles with HP and Google in 2016, which this question directly reflects.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Apple was involved in major legal fights with Samsung over smartphone patents and with authorities over encryption and tax issues, not in simultaneous high profile losses to HP and Google as described here. Microsoft had antitrust cases and other disputes, but there is no widely publicised pair of defeats against HP and Google in 2016 matching this description. Intel has faced regulatory and competitive investigations, yet again the specific narrative of losing to both HP and Google in high profile court cases in 2016 fits Oracle, not Intel.


Common Pitfalls:
A frequent error is to assume that Apple or Microsoft must be the answer whenever technology litigation is mentioned, simply because they are very famous. Another pitfall is to focus on Google involvement and then randomly choose a rival like Apple instead of recalling the specific Java related dispute with Oracle. Paying attention to the combination of both HP and Google in a single question is a strong clue pointing uniquely to Oracle.


Final Answer:
The company that lost high profile legal battles with both HP and Google in 2016 was Oracle.

Discussion & Comments

No comments yet. Be the first to comment!
Join Discussion