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Larry Page: Android isn't critical, it's a delivery vehicle for Google services

Larry Page: Android isn't critical, it's a delivery vehicle for Google services

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Google CEO Larry Page finished up his testimony in the copyright phase of the case between Oracle and Google.

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Oracle completed its cross-examination of Google CEO Larry Page today in the copyright phase of the trial between the two Silicon Valley giants, and Page was quite candid about Android's importance to Google as a whole. When asked if he believed Android was a critical asset to Google around 2010, Page said: "I believe Android was very important for Google. I wouldn't say it was critical."

"I believe Android was very important for Google. I wouldn't say it was critical."

When asked whether Google's board of directors was told that Android was critical to Google, Page stated that he wouldn't be surprised if that was the case, but that he wasn't sure he'd go that far. He elaborated that Android was a means to get pre-existing Google services to mobile users. "We'd been frustrated getting our technology out to people," said Page. On the issue of mobile devices running Java, in particular, he emphasized that there was a "closet of 100 phones" at Google's offices and none of them worked correctly: "It was almost impossible to develop for them."

Page's testimony is complete, but the entire trial is scheduled to take up to 10 weeks and is broken down into three separate phases: copyright, patent and damages. The trial is moving along at lightning speed compared to most federal infringement cases, but we're in the courtroom and still anticipate some interesting testimony to come from the likes of Andy Rubin and Eric Schmidt over the next few days — so stay tuned.

Bryan Bishop contributed to this report.