Opinion ID: 4557271
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Solaris Software

Text: Oracle has owned federally registered copyrights for the Solaris software since it purchased Sun Microsystems (Sun) in January 2010. Various Solaris patches also have code registered with the United States Copyright Office. Oracle licenses use of the Solaris software to a customer when the customer purchases a server with preinstalled software. The Solaris versions at issue here are Solaris 8, 9, 10 and 11. The Binary Code License Agreement applies to Solaris 8 and 9. 6 ORACLE AMERICA V. HEWLETT PACKARD ENTER. The Software License Agreement (SLA) applies to Solaris 10. 1 Customers with a prepaid annual Oracle support contract can access Solaris patches through the password protected My Oracle Support (MOS) website. 2 A customer must place every server for which it desires support on an active support contract. A support contract is subject to policies that also define a customer’s right to access patches. With an active support contract, a customer can create an MOS username and password. Upon accessing the MOS, the customer must agree to additional terms of use concerning the software on the site. II. Third-Party Support of Solaris Software by HPE and Terix As is relevant here, HPE has a multi-vendor support business that serves as a “one-stop-shop” to support all servers an HPE customer has, including servers running Solaris software. HPE provides such support directly and indirectly. HPE subcontracted indirect support to Terix, a company which specialized in supporting Oracle software. For joint HPE-Terix customers, Terix arranged for a server to have Oracle support in the customer’s name with a prepaid Terix-supplied credit card and created an MOS credential for the single-server Oracle support contract. Terix also provided customers with a form email to send to Oracle. Terix downloaded patches using the credentials to make copies for use on off-contract servers as part of the so-called 1 A customer-specific entitlement accompanies the SLA. Solaris 11 is governed by a license similar to the SLA. 2 Oracle ceased Sun’s gratis release of security-related patches, firmware updates, and new Solaris operating system versions. ORACLE AMERICA V. HEWLETT PACKARD ENTER. 7 “one-to-many” scheme. When a customer was not yet supported, Terix created credentials by using fictitious names, emails addresses, and credit cards. Oracle sued Terix in July 2013, alleging copyright infringement concerning the Solaris patches, among other claims. Oracle Am., Inc. v. Terix Comp. Co., Inc., No. 4:13cv-3385-JST, Dkt No. 1 (N.D. Cal. July 19, 2013). Following summary judgment for Oracle on Terix’s license affirmative defense there, Oracle Am., Inc. v. Terix Comp. Co., 2015 WL 2090191 (N.D. Cal. May 5, 2015), Terix stipulated to a judgment for Oracle on the infringement and fraud claims without admitting liability. Thereafter, Oracle and HPE entered into an agreement, effective May 6, 2015, to toll the statute of limitations for any claims that Oracle might assert against HPE.