| Novell sez: |
'We're not SCO' and we won't sue |
 ct_libertarian sez: |
BWA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!! In your face, Darth McBride! |
OSS PING
| Novell sez: |
'We're not SCO' and we won't sue |
ct_libertarian sez: |
BWA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!! In your face, Darth McBride! |
In the aftermath of federal district judge Dale A. Kimball's recent ruling, which determined that Novell, not SCO, is the rightful owner of the UNIX copyrights, the once-mighty proprietary UNIX vendor is on the verge of annihilation. As SCO's grasp on survival weakens and the company braces itself for descent into financial oblivion, much can be learned by reflecting on the circumstances of the case. A close reading of the ruling provides fascinating insight into the details of SCO's battle and sheds light on the peculiar events through which SCO has branded itself with the bitter taint of infamy.
In 2003, proprietary UNIX vendor SCO filed a $1 billion lawsuit against IBM. SCO accused IBM of surreptitiously incorporating proprietary UNIX source code into the open-source Linux kernel, thus infringing upon UNIX copyrights allegedly held by SCO. Although SCO initially declined to provide evidence of infringement, the company attempted to justify its suit by claiming that it would be technologically impossible for IBM to make Linux a suitable platform for businesses without misappropriating some UNIX intellectual property in the process.
After IBM refused to hand over the money, SCO upped the ante by insisting that all companies that use Linux should also pay licensing fees. SCO then proceeded to expand its litigation campaign and threatened to file suits against 1,500 companies. Novell eventually stepped in and argued that SCO wasn't actually the owner of the UNIX copyrights and that the UNIX intellectual property, in fact, belonged to Novell. SCO retaliated by accusing Novell of "slander of title" over the disputed UNIX ownership rights.
Excerpt - more at: Requiem for a legal disaster: a retrospective analysis of SCO v. Novell