SCO Approached Google About Linux License

Bigcharts Marketwatch ^ | FRIDAY, JANUARY 09, 2004 2:11 PM | Reuters U.S. Online Report - Internet

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

SEATTLE (Reuters) - SCO Group Inc. (SCOX) , the software company that is suing IBM and extracting royalties from other Linux users, said on Friday that it had held "low-level talks" with Internet search engine Google about a license agreement.

"Certainly if they're using 10,000 Linux servers that include our intellectual property as part of Unix, we would want them to license," said Blake Stowell, a SCO spokesman.

Linux, which can be copied and modified freely, has been a hit among businesses since it can be run on personal computer hardware and is based on the widely-used Unix platform.

Lindon, Utah-based SCO claims that parts of Linux were directly copied from Unix, which SCO owns.

SCO sued International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) last year and sent notice to thousands of companies to pay to use Linux. SCO said it now has Unix license agreements with more than 6,000 companies.

Stowell said that SCO has had "intermittent, low-level discussions" with Google, which is well-known for harnessing Linux technology to run its popular search service.

Markets are abuzz with increasing speculation that Google will seek an initial public offering sometime this year.

[Mudcat]

So, I wonder whether IBM will immediately fire all of SCO's employees when IBM's lawyers are through with SCO, or if they'll graciously offer SCO employees jobs in the mailroom & janitorial department.

[Glenn]

Certainly if they're using 10,000 Linux servers that include our intellectual property as part of Unix, we would want them to license

That's a big if.

[Support Free Republic]

Rank	Location	Receipts	Donors/Avg		Freepers/Avg		Monthlies
46	Delaware	50.00	1	50.00	23	2.17

Thanks for donating to Free Republic!

Move your locale up the leaderboard!

[MineralMan]

And Google says, "You want money? Search for it."

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Just thought I would see if any news yet on the court action but only found this item.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Good on.

LOL!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Good on ,,, should be .... Good one.

[trebb]

Do ya reckon it might have anything at all to do with the recent news that Microsoft might be considering a bid to buy Google? Nah, just coincidence...

[Prime Choice]

This stinks. Sounds like extortion. I would supeona all internal documents.

I concur, and it stinks on ice. What's worse, SCO's recent tactics are eerily reminiscent of Microsoft's strongarm tactics against its competition. Now where was it I read that Microsoft had recently given SCO a financial boost...?

[bvw]

It is extortion, it will get worse. The Supreme Court's continuation of copyright for indefinite term, practically forever, makes the NPV of any copyright HUGE. Moreover the HIGH VALUE of any demonstratedly defended copyright will cause aggregatation, roll-up, of like ideas into the scope of the claimed copyright. That is, the extorted wealth that accumulates in the IP castles will be used to extent the territory and increase the IP landholding.

[TechJunkYard]

We won't really know anything officially until the January 23rd hearing.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

OK, I thought something was suppose to happen today.

[TechJunkYard]

SCO has confirmed that its lawyers will provide IBM with the additional evidence it has requested on 12 January, in keeping with the deadline set by a judge.
This will be followed by a hearing in Salt Lake City on 23 January, when the judge is expected to ask IBM whether it has received everything needed.

[brownsfan]

SCO - So Crazy it's Obscene

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Very good, thanks!

[bobo1]

""Stowell said that SCO has had "intermittent, low-level discussions" with Google,""

They talked to the janitor who was waiting outside after-hours for a ride home.

SCO should be adept at low-level discussions. Nothing could be lower than spending time discussing anything with these nit-wits.

I doubt that anyone with any brains in the Google organization would give SCO the time of day.

blessings, bobo

[D-fendr]

IANAL.

It would seem than since SCO has yet to win the case on which this claim is based, that there would be a legal penalty for threatening a Linux customer.

Question is: who sues on behalf of Linux? The distro that Google is using?

[Mudcat]

I read that Microsoft gave SCO $50 million privately, but it showed up months later in SCO's public filing. Kinda strange all by itself, given SCO makes what, $7 mil gross per quarter?