Oracle appeals $306 mn settlement in SAP lawsuit

US software giant Oracle is appealing a $306 million settlement in its marathon copyright infringement lawsuit against German rival SAP, court documents show.

The current settlement amount, set on August 3, is less than a quarter of the $1.3 billion SAP had been originally ordered to pay the Silicon Valley giant by a jury in November 2010.

But US District Court Judge Phyllis Hamilton slashed the amount last year to $272 million, saying the jury's award was "grossly excessive".

Oracle rejected the amount and made its case through the courts.

The case dates back to 2007, when Oracle accused SAP subsidiary TomorrowNow of a massive scheme to download and copy its software.

Last month, the two firms agreed to the $306 million figure—but with the understanding that it was simply a maneuver to end the case in the lower courts and allow an appeal to proceed.

The latest appeal was made to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

(c) 2012 AFP