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HP CEO Goes On the Lam As Oracle Hunts Him Down
theodp writes "Oracle said HP has refused to accept a subpoena requiring new CEO Leo Apotheker to testify in a trial against his former employer SAP, which will determine how much SAP owes Oracle for copyright infringement by its discontinued TomorrowNow unit. 'Mr. Apotheker started work for HP on Monday, but it now appears that the HP board of directors has decided to keep him away from HP's headquarters and outside the court's jurisdiction,' an Oracle spokeswoman said. 'We will continue to try to serve him,' she added. An HP spokeswoman countered: 'Given Leo's limited knowledge of and role in the matter, Oracle's last-minute effort to require him to appear live at trial is no more than an effort to harass him and interfere with his duties and responsibilities as HP's CEO.' The spokeswoman declined to discuss the whereabouts of Mr. Apotheker, who was featured in a 2006 SAP/TomorrowNow press release attacking the 'uncertainty' of Oracle. Coincidentally, among the charges leveled at SAP/TomorrowNow was 'pretextual customer log-in,' an area in which HP has some subject matter expertise."
Why would a CEO be at work? That is just a silly assumption.
http://blindscribblings.com - Tasty pop-culture in conceptual fashion.
He's a ninja.
Or, at least, he can afford to hire a bunch of them.
Seems a little silly, the proper approach is to file a motion to quash the trial subpoena. It's a pretty simple motion and would be a lot easier than hiding your CEO.
Don't worry, they'll find him when he checks his Facebook page!
There's a spot in User Info for World of Warcraft account names? Really?
has HP become less than reputable, Sun's continued existence become questionable, Oracle's motives become dubious, all while Linux continues to gain market share.
Ok, the Linux bit was just for fun, but really what in the heck is the Tech world smoking. It is getting strange!
He's traveling right now. I saw him in Plano last week, and he's been to many HP sites worldwide in the last 3 weeks, in a bid to calm employees and reassure HP's biggest customers. I don't know what this BS is about the board keeping him away. He's doing his job, meeting people and reaching out.
And after hearing him speak and meeting with him last week, I have to say I'm impressed. He's not the used car salesman that Mark was, nor the fiery bitch that Carli was. He's kind of a geek, and a definite software nerd. Not only that, he genuinely impressed me. He's sharp and capable without being slimy. And unlike most Germans, he appears to have had his sense of humor reinstalled.
Moreover, he's SMART about the tech HP sells, and why people buy it in a way that Mark never was.
And I'll take that.
How is HP not guilty of obstruction of justice?
Like I really need to say it, but here it is anyway: IANAL.
Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.
As someone who is a customer of both of these companies, I kinda wish they'd spend less time throwing lawsuits at each other and more time providing value to their customers. I'm just sayin'...
He's been travelling to HP sites across the globe to get face to face employee input and hopefully boost morale. I'd much rather he do that and get a handle on the company than submit to Oracle's harassment in a suit where he's already given sworn, taped testimony. The last thing HP needs is another lame-ass distraction for the CEO.
Honestly: if Oracle is after him, the guy must be inocent.
Note to self: avoid rakuen's dumpster, especially shortly after eating.
God invented whiskey so the Irish would not rule the world.
"Oracle had ample opportunity to question Leo during his sworn deposition in October 2008 and chose not to include him as a live trial witness until he was named CEO of HP," an HP spokesperson said in a statement. "Given Leo's limited knowledge of and role in the matter, Oracle's last-minute effort to require him to appear live at trial is no more than an effort to harass him and interfere with his duties and responsibilities as HP's CEO."
Of course, HP may be pulling the wool over our eyes. But if it was not obvious in 2008 and 2009 that live testimony would be likely necessary, then it is difficult to believe that he is so important to the suit here in late 2010.
Ahh... But they have to serve him WITHIN the Court's jurisdiction, else it's not proper service and carries no force of law. It's not QUITE as simple as you're making it out to be. If they don't serve him within the confines of his jurisdiction and he's off on legit company business (which he is, actually) they can't serve him and when the clock on their ability to serve the subpoena runs out they've got to try for it again- and I'll bet good money they don't have the time to do it after the clock runs out on them this go-round.
I am not merely a "consumer" or a "taxpayer". I am a Citizen of the State of Texas