Oracle versus Google patent trial likely by November

A patent trial between tech giants Oracle and Google should be held before November, a U.S. judge said at a hearing.

Oracle sued Google last year, claiming the Web search company's Android mobile operating technology infringes on Oracle's Java patents. Oracle bought the Java programing language through its acquisition of Sun Microsystems in January 2010.

Some see the lawsuit as a sign of a growing business rivalry between the two companies.

In a San Francisco federal courtroom on Wednesday, U.S. District Judge William Alsup said he has limited resources and only one law clerk assigned to the highly technical case.

That clerk is leaving in November, and Alsup said he does not want a new one to have to learn the matter.

Some jury is going to be sitting over there come October, Alsup said.

Alsup did not set a formal trial date, and the companies could settle at any time. An Oracle spokeswoman declined to comment, and Google representatives did not respond to a message.

The case in U.S. District Court, Northern District of California is Oracle America, Inc v. Google Inc, 10-3561.

(Reporting by Dan Levine; editing by Carol Bishopric)