Oracle and NetApp end patent case

Oracle has struck a deal with NetApp to end a three-year patent fight that began between NetApp and Sun Microsystems.

The case centred around the Sun ZFS file system which NetApp claimed infringed on patents for its WAFL file system.

Sun responded with a suit of its own, claiming that WAFL infringed on Sun's own patents.

"For more than a decade, Oracle and NetApp have shared a common vision focused on providing solutions that reduce IT cost and complexity for thousands of customers worldwide," said NetApp president and chief executive Tom Georgens.

"We will continue to collaborate with Oracle to deliver solutions that help our mutual customers gain greater flexibility and efficiency in their IT infrastructures."

The settlement comes just as another possible legal drama is beginning to emerge for Oracle.

Earlier this week the company announced the hiring of former HP chief executive Mark Hurd, a move which led HP's legal team to file for an injunction over possible trade secret disclosures.

Oracle chief executive Larry Ellison responded to the filing by suggesting that Oracle could cut off its partnership efforts with HP, although industry analysts view such as move as unlikely.