Oracle should pay, they knew exactly what they were doing. If it was them, they would be suing too. Live by the sword die by the sword.
The pizza delivery person isn't acting as your agent and representative.
If you work for a company, and break something serious for a client - it's not you who gets sued, it's your company because you were acting on their behalf.
These lawyers were hired by Oracle to conduct legal matters on Oracle's behalf - if they win the case, it's not the lawyers who take home the prize - it's Oracle. Conversely, if they lose, it's not the lawyers who pay the penalty - it's Oracle.
So, it's not out of the real of possibility that Oracle will be fined or penalized in some way.
Meanwhile, you would be legally exposed to lawsuit to reclaim that half million dollars in damages.
If they win, Oracle gets the rewards. If they lose, Oracle gets the penalties. If they screw up, Oracle gets the fines.
There is a wide gap between paying for a service and hiring an employee to work for the company.
Where'd you get that idea? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Respondeat_superior
It might not be your fault, but the question of "who made the mistake?" doesn't really enter into it.
I don't think it's clear that Oracle is in the same position wrt their lawyers as a pizza customer is wrt the delivery guy, though.
>“She just blurted out the two numbers that mattered. She just blurted it out,” said Judge Alsup. “If she had had the recipe for Coca-Cola she could have blurted it out in this court right now.” Knowing revenue isn't exactly the same as knowing a formula. It's odd that Google cares so much.
The judge cares, and everyone else should care, because revealing confidential information in court should never be tolerated, no matter how trivial that information might seem. If people get away with it, it undermines that principle and makes it more likely to happen in the future.