lkml.org 
[lkml]   [2003]   [Jul]   [24]   [last100]   RSS Feed
Views: [wrap][no wrap]   [headers]  [forward] 
 
Messages in this thread
/
SubjectRe: SCO offers UnixWare licenses for Linux
From
Date
On Iau, 2003-07-24 at 16:49, Sancar Saran wrote:
> I wish to know are we have backup plan any backup plan. Most of Linux users
> are gonna worry.

Well if IBM did steal stuff my backup plan is to sue IBM, as I suspect
is everyone elses. There are basically three outcomes

#1 The whole thing is without merit (as it seems to be now)
#2 IBM did it and have to buy SCO (because everyone will sue IBM, every
Linux developer, every business, every user)
#3 SCO gets bankrupted by countersuits (popular US approach to law)


At the moment it seems like the games Intel played against AMD in the
486 days against motherboard vendors, except that Intel had a better
case

> Today I get a e mail from our local mailing lists. Says SCO sued Red Hat for
> this. another one asks Can M$ send BSA to check their systems and request
> licence money (because of buying SCO Unixware Licences).

SCO Unixware licenses don't entitle you to copy Linux. In fact if you
sign one of their "settlements" you probably lose your right to
distribute Linux under the GPL license terms and give them the right to
break into your office by signing one. But I'm not a lawyer

You can still today download Linux kernels from sco.com which claim to
be GPL. Given what I know about estoppel and law I suggest everyone may
wish to download a copy and log the date they did so.

These same issues are true of Windows btw. If you are using any of the
following products you might want to worry about the Intertrust patent
suit against Microsoft...

http://www.intertrust.com/main/ip/accused.html
http://secure.zdnet.com.au/newstech/enterprise/story/0,2000048640,20276337,00.htm

and also Timeline - who have made it clear they are considering
targetting Microsoft customers

http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/53/29419.html

"particularly those Microsoft customers who relied on Microsoft's
assurances, failed to investigate them thoroughly, and knowingly
continued to provide material steps in an Infringing Combination. These
infringers, if any, may face treble damages for the entire three and
one-half years the case was tied up in the courts. Microsoft is not a
law firm. Relying on its advice should not constitute acting in good
faith; which is the required defense to treble damages for failure to
investigate and honor patents once on notice of their existence."

Just the press cover that one mysteriously less often.

Final amusement: http://www.talkleft.com/archives/003727.html

-
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org
More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/

\
 
 \ /
  Last update: 2005-03-22 13:47    [W:0.370 / U:0.076 seconds]
©2003-2020 Jasper Spaans|hosted at Digital Ocean and TransIP|Read the blog|Advertise on this site