Oracle-Sun Tangled in Russian Riddle

"I believe that open source-related issues generally bear more weight outside the US than in the US," wrote Florian Mueller, a former MySQL shareholder, who is opposing the acquisition, in an email to TheStreet.

Oracle has certainly given no indication that it is giving up on Sun. The database giant's fiery CEO Larry Ellison, for example, recently vowed to wield Sun's hardware as a cudgel against IBM.

The protracted acquisition, however, is hurting Sun, which recently announced plans to cut 3,000 jobs. Sun revealed the headcount reduction in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, explaining that its hand was forced by the delay in closing the deal.

The outspoken Ellison has already complained that the European Commission's probe is costing Sun $100 million a month. Oracle had originally intended to close the deal sometime during the summer, but Brussels had other ideas. The European Commission has said that it will make a decision on whether to approve the merger by Jan. 19.

Oracle's stock slipped 6 cents, or 0.28%, to $21.39 shortly after market open, mirroring the broader tech market as the Nasdaq fell 0.37%. Sun shares dipped 1 cent, or 0.12%, to $8.26.

-- Reported by James Rogers in New York

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