Posted on 11/08/2003 12:32:34 PM PST by yonif
Organizations running Linux unwilling to pay SCO Group Inc's IP license could find themselves running Unix or Windows, under a planned exit clause from the company.
SCO Group has revealed it plans migration options extending the intellectual property program launched earlier this year.
Outlined in SCO's latest 8K Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing, no further details were given.
However, a company spokesperson told ComputerWire SCO would probably provide customers with financial incentives and discounts to migrate to SCO Unix, other vendors' Unix, and what he referred to as "other proprietary operating systems" but probably Windows.
"We are offering a migration path to other operating systems that have a stronger IP basis than Linux," the spokesperson said. Incentives will be offered "in the coming months."
SCO claimed the migration program was conceived following feed back from some users, who decided that if Linux is no-longer free they would move back to Unix.
The company's claim, though, will do little to silence conspiracy theorists who believe SCO is working with Microsoft Corp's blessing to undermine Linux.
Many organizations are abandoning Unix for Linux because of cost, and it is debatable whether SCO's UnixWare runtime license would outstrip the cost of running a Unix server.
Microsoft, meanwhile, emerged as one of the first ISVs to take-out a SCO license.
Separately, it seems Boies, Schiller and Flexner prosecuting IBM Corp on SCO's behalf stands to profit handsomely from any victory against IBM or through the sale of SCO. The vendor's agreement with Boies, Schiller and Flexner has been modified granting it 20% of proceeds in the $3bn plus IP case against IBM.
That covers licensing fees, settlements, judgments, equity financings or sale of SCO during litigation or settlement.
What are they smoking?
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