Posted on 05/19/2003 7:34:48 AM PDT by stainlessbanner
Microsoft threw its weight behind SCO Group's battle against Linux Monday by declaring that it would license Unix technology from SCO in order to "ensure intellectual property compliance across all Microsoft solutions."
Microsoft's license covers a patent and source code from Unix.
SCO claims that the Linux kernel holds Unix intellectual property owned by SCO. The company has moved to hold IBM (Quote, Company Info) responsible, unleashing a $1 billion lawsuit against the company for misappropriation of trade secrets (though not copyright infringement, to date). Still, the company has conceded that some of the alleged Unix code in the Linux kernel predates IBM's involvement with the operating platform, and has warned commercial Linux users that they may be held liable for using it.
While open source legal experts have argued that SCO open sourced that Unix code when it distributed its own version of Linux with the allegedly infringing kernel, that hasn't stopped Microsoft from backing up SCO.
"There are many companies in the IT industry who acknowledge and respect the intellectual property of software," said Chris Sontag, senior vice president and general manager for SCOsource, the company's intellectual property division. "With this announcement, Microsoft is clearly showing the importance of maintaining compatibility with Unix and Microsoft's software solutions through their software licensing. This important step will better help their customers implement Unix and Windows solutions."
It's not the only step the two companies have taken to give Unix and Windows common cause against Linux in the datacenter. SCO also announced Monday that it has worked with Center 7 to create SCO Authentication for Microsoft Active Directory, giving end users the ability to use a single log in for a mixed Windows and Unix environment.
"Many organizations today manage complex network environments running Windows, Unix and other various operating systems," said Opinder Bawa, senior vice president of Engineering and Global Services at SCO. "Authentication within this mix of systems is typically insecure and difficult to manage. SCO Authentication for Microsoft Active Directory allows IT professionals to seamlessly integrate Unix-based system logins with the secure authentication technology they've already paid for in the form of Microsoft Active Directory."
The product users Kerberos security protocols for authentication, and allows administrators to manage either from the Microsoft Management console or the Unix command line. SCO is offering the product in base packs that include 25 directory users starting at $999 for RISC Unix. The company said additional licenses are available for $20 per seat, sold in incremental packs.
Resistance is futile.
First SCO threatens everyone with lawsuits for using their code, then MS suddenly up and licenses it.
Coincidence?
MS already is the second largest shareholder of SCOX. But you don't see the press release mentioning THAT, do you?
Its actually a reasonable conjecture. SCO is maintaining that a great deal of Linux code has been "polluted" by use of unlicensed Unix code contributions that originated with ATT Unix. That's the basis of their suit against IBM, and IBM's contributions to Linux.
Couple that with the fact that its been widely published that MS has incorporated some public domain Linux code, and the conclusion is that maybe some of it was, albeit unintentionally, linked to the ATT code. So, as a humongously deep pocket with a checkered courtroom history, it would be prudent for MS to pony up for a license, just in case.
Probably not -- however, Microsoft has certainly used BSD code, which may or may not also be covered by the patent claims that SCO is making about System V. So, part of this may very well be defensive. Of course, the fact that this sets precendent that this is SCO intellectual propery that must be licensed makes it a nice "bank-shot" for them in the SCO vs. Linux lawsuit.
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