[olug] SCCO

[Jacobs, Robert A.]

>-----Original Message-----
>From: Michael Ray [mailto:mikejodi68041 at yahoo.com]
>Subject: [olug] SCCO
>
>
> http://www.linuxworld.com/site-stories/2003/0123.scoboies.html
>
>What is it these people want. I do not really
>understand any comments thanks
>

Well...if I had to take a guess, I'd say SCO is looking for a new
revenue stream based on IP licensing.  Basically, they claim to 
possess a large interest in "The Unix Way (TM)"[1] of doing business
and want to get paid for it.

As Linux gains in popularity on the server, pushing aside more expensive
Unix platforms, companies with an interest in Unix will need to find
other ways to survive.  Given that Linux is a Unix-like OS that is
threatening Unix vendors, it is an obvious target for IP infringement
lawsuits.  If SCO is successful (and the threat of litigation
alone could stymie advance), other unix vendors may follow.  It doesn't
even matter if SCO's claims are baseless -- if they can spread enough
FUD, enterprises may stay away from Linux because it is "legally 
questionable".  If enterprises stay away from Linux, then they have to
go somewhere for their Unix fix...hmmmm.

If the IP owned by SCO looks anything like many of the patents approved
by the USPTO in the last few years, then SCO could have patents on solutions
to business problems that do not include tangible products ala Jeff Bezos
and
Amazon's One-Click patent.  This could be particularly bad for Linux because
SCO would only need to show that a particular problem in Linux is addressed
in the same way that that problem is addressed in SCO Unix (Best practices,
anyone?).  Now, I'm not saying that SCO's patent portfolio looks anything
like this (in all honesty, it probably doesn't -- I think it is only in 
recent years that the USPTO has taken to smoking crack while looking over
applications) I'm just saying that it would be very scary indeed if it did.

In all likelihood, they are targeting hardware vendors who are commoditizing
hardware by using Linux as the operating system (e.g. it used to be that
in order to get the neat-n-spiffy Unix version, you had to buy the very
expensive hardware -- now you don't need to buy the neat-n-spiffy unix so,
if you want to sell your hardware, you need to drop your price).  As
hardware 
prices drop, vendors like SCO (and Sun Microsystems, et. al.) take it in the

shorts.  SCO is probably brandishing a big stick in order to get the
attention
of the industry and to let them know that they are seriously looking at
their
competitor's products and if anyone claims to function as well as SCO, SCO 
will be sure to make sure you are not infringing on their IP.

rob

[1] "SCO owns much of the core Unix intellectual property, and has full 
rights to license this technology and enforce the associated patents 
and copyrights."