Oracle Gets Cash From Micron To End Price-Fix Suit

Oracle (Nasdaq: ORCL), the world's biggest database software company, settled a price-fixing lawsuit against Micron Technology (NYSE: MU) for $58 million.

The case is only one of many on Oracle's legal docket: pending cases remain against Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) and with Hewlett-Packard, which sued Oracle for microprocessors for its Itanium servers.

A statement by Micron, the Boise, Ida., manufacturer of dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) chips, said the parties agreed to a settlement and a release of all claims.

However, Micron said it will have to boost its previously reported net loss to $282 million, or 29 cents a share, from the previously reported $224 million, or 23 cents a share, on revenue of $2.1 billion.

Micron shares fell nearly 4 percent Friday, down 32 cents to $8.10, but remain up nearly 30 percent so far this year. Oracle shares fell14 cents to $29.16. They've risen 14 percent in 2012.

Oracle claimed that Micron had conspired with other DRAM makers, all foreign, to boost prices between 1998 and 2002. Oracle, which bought server giant Sun Microsystems in 2010, based its claim for that period, which also included a U.S. Department of Justice probe into DRAM prices.