Oracle: It ain't over till it's over

Oracle's attorney, James Rill, responded yesterday to PeopleSoft's statement that US DOJ staff have recommended filing suit to block Oracle's proposed takeover of PeopleSoft,

Over the course of my 45 years of antitrust practice I have seen many instances in which the Assistant Attorney General's decision differed from that recommended by the investigating staff, including several instances during my three years as Assistant Attorney General. In my experience, the Assistant Attorney General will take ample time to review the facts of this situation with an open mind and meet with Oracle before coming to a decision on the matter. This process simply is not complete.

Separately, it looks like a similar investigation by the European Commission is likely to drag on beyond PeopleSoft's annual meeting on March 25, further complicating Oracle's plan.

Update, Feb. 12: ComputerWorld has more reaction from Oracle and also from several PeopleSoft clients. Says one PeopleSoft user, "I won't be able to relax until they drive a stake through the heart of this deal."