SCO Threatens to Press IP Claims on Linux -$99

[ral 0]

http://www.sys-con.com/linux/articlenews.cfm?id=381

 

I don't understand all this. Could someone explain it to me. Read the article and messages posted, but I still don't get it.

[Guest JaseP]

It's basically a posturing thing. They hope that they will be able to extort a little money from other Linux partners, and if you read the article, they will essentially slit their throat if they do.

 

I wouldn'y worry.

[ral 0]

Thanks.

[Glitz 0]

Probably nothing will happen but if it does then I think it will simply cause the system V APIs to be written out of the kernel (if it can even be shown that SCO has a right to them). I'm not familiar with the specific functions affected but I think there already is an option in the kernel to enable and disable them. It may just be a case of some old code that is getting a little long in the tooth being kept around for some obscure compatibility reasons.

 

I did some digging and apparently 4.4BSD shed all code infringing on Novel IP in 1994. Also, the rights to the "UNIX" brandname and the Single UNIX Specification (of which the system V APIs are undoubtedly a part although I haven't confirmed this) were transfered to X/Open in 1993 by Novel. Novel sold its UnixWare business to SCO in 1995. Therefore, I think the system V APIs are free to be implemented by anyone but any code from the original implementation (from Novel going back to the AT&T days) might possibly have to be rewritten to avoid copyright infringement. The API itself can probably be legally implemented by anyone.

 

http://www.unix.org/what_is_unix/history_timeline.html

 

Glitz.

[Counterspy 0]

I just sent them an email saying the open source community would drive them and their partners in United Linux out of business if they pursued legal action. Do the same if you're so inclined.

http://www.sco.com .

 

Counterspy

[johnnyv 0]

As a protest all 5 SCO linux users moved to different distros :P

[Guest joehill]

As a protest all 5 SCO linux users moved to different distros :P

 

:lol:

[thayne 0]

reading the comments after the story; it looks like a BS article.

[Guest ndeb]

thayne,

Ur comment is quite right:

http://www.practical-tech.com/business/b01162003.htm