[olug] SCCO

[Nick Walter]

I'm not worrying too much about this issue myself.  Remember, Unix is old.
I'm sure most if not all of the patents are now expired.  The only remaining
danger would be copyrights, and it's harder to nuke a computer program on a
copyright issue unless you can prove somebody lifted source code outright.

SCO is playing a dangerous game because IBM is a big linux company, and IBM
has the capability to use their massive patent portfolio and army of lawyers
like a tactical nuclear weapon in the computer world.  I would be shocked if
IBM couldn't find some part of SCO software (Unixware/OpenUnix/Whatever they
call it this week) that doesn't infringe an IBM patent.  And then they can
tell SCO to sit down and shut up unless they want some expensive and lengthy
patent lawsuits.

Nick Walter


----- Original Message -----
From: "Jacobs, Robert A." <RAJACOBS at northropgrumman.com>
To: <olug at olug.org>
Sent: Saturday, January 25, 2003 10:29 AM
Subject: RE: [olug] SCCO


> >-----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."
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