Posted on 11/19/2003 9:19:14 AM PST by LakerCJL
LAS VEGAS -- The debate over SCO Group's claims on the Unix and Linux operating systems has never been polite.
But now, it has grown deadly serious. Literally.
Following telephone and e-mail threats to the Lindon software company and Darl McBride, SCO's president and chief executive; senior vice president Chris Sontag, and others, an unspecified number of bodyguards has been assigned to protect SCO's leadership.
"It's crazy," McBride said during an interview Tuesday at a Las Vegas hotel, where he is not listed on the guest register and visitors must be escorted to his room by security.
"This started off as a contract dispute with IBM, then we discovered [alleged SCO-owned Unix code] within Linux," McBride said. "Now we have a firestorm of controversy and anger from many in the Linux community."
The Linux operating system, seen as a challenger to the predominant Microsoft Windows OS, is the darling of the so-called "open source" community -- a global network of programmers dedicated to freely distributed software.
In March, SCO sued IBM in federal court over alleged contract violations stemming from purported incorporation of the Utah company's Unix OS into the latest versions of Linux. SCO seeks up to $50 billion in damages.
SCO also has sent out 1,500 letters to corporate Linux users warning them that by using the allegedly tainted versions of the OS, they are violating SCO's intellectual property rights. SCO has offered to license such users for varying fees.
Earlier Tuesday, SCO underscored its determination to continue its litigation. In a teleconference, the company announced expansion of its contract with the law firm of Bois, Schiller & Flexner, saying it will pay the firm and others $1 million cash and 400,000 stock shares.
In addition to the IBM litigation for which it was originally retained, the firm will represent SCO in upcoming copyright lawsuits against Linux end-users.
SCO's Sontag emphasized those suits, which could begin within 90 days, will target only "the larger commercial users of Linux. We have already said that for noncommercial use of Linux we will not be taking any action."
The reaction throughout the controversy has largely been one of defiance. IBM has countersued, directly challenging SCO's Unix-Linux claims; leading Linux distributor RedHat Inc. also has filed what it calls a preemptive suit, also challenging SCO's attempts to license Linux.
McBride claims others in the open-source community have chosen to express their displeasure outside the law. Since SCO filed its suit, there have been at least three major "Denial of Service" attacks -- cyber raids that overwhelmed SCO Web sites, effectively crashing them.
In the past few weeks, though, the tenor has become more direct, and more serious, SCO alleges.
"With the personal threats to our lives we have had to rachet up security both for our company and for certain individuals," McBride said.
Sontag stressed that most in the open-source community, while understandably upset with SCO's Linux claims, are reasonable in their conduct.
"However, there are some elements who have an almost religious zealousness about Linux," he added. "In some ways, that can be scary for anyone opposing their positions."
Reaction Tuesday from the open-source community to SCO's security concerns was a mixture of disbelief and scorn.
"I just don't buy it," said Bruce Perens, a Berkeley, Calif.-based Linux developer and open source advocate. " This is just an effort to discredit the open-source community.
"If there were real threats, the police would be there instead of husky fellows with radio tubes in their heads," he said.
Perens and other open-source advocates long have speculated SCO's lawsuits may be an attempt to attract buyers -- perhaps even IBM, if the litigation proved enough of an annoyance.
Both McBride and Sontag reiterated that no such sale is being contemplated
McBride added SCO's focus remains protecting its intellectual property rights -- and that he and the company fully expect to see the matter through trial of the IBM, tentatively scheduled for early 2005.
At any rate, McBride has no plans to compromise SCO's claims. The title of his address Tuesday night to the Computer Digital Expo at Mandalay Bay was: "There's No Free Lunch -- or Free Linux."
bmims@sltrib.com
Both McBride and Sontag reiterated that no such sale is being contemplated
Tech Ping
Both McBride and Sontag reiterated that no such sale is being contemplated
Well, they can't come right out and say yes, that is getting way too close to confessing to extortion.
So9
Sounds like the two law firms are merging.
I'm not sure they are generated by Slashdot, but obviously a lot of the people who threaten such things congregate there. I've personally seen several posts on that website encouraging bodily harm, and the home addresses of SCO excutives posted as well.
Sounds like you have lawyers who have a vested interest in keeping SCO's stock high any way they can.
Before this whole thing, SCO stock was trading below $2 or so, now it's in the teens. It's in their best interest to drag this along and try keep the stock price up.
I wouldn't say this was a 'pump and dump' scheme, but I bet one could make the case that it was.
So you're condoning that sort of thing? Posting someone's name and address on the internet along with threats of homocide? Your statement leads one to wonder, since that is what has been happening.
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