Microsoft, SCO and Linux (IT-Director)

Posted May 21, 2003 18:57 UTC (Wed) by afn62172 (guest, #11367) [Link]

The SCO matter is critical to Microsoft. Microsoft simply used SCO as a means to de-rail or delay the development of Linux. Microsoft has finally been hurt by Linux and decided to do anything to stop the development including funding a lawsuit that can not be won given the commitments of the governments of Germany, France, Australia, and others to the Linux operating system.

SCO distributed Linux source code which was "open and obvious". SCO has made anything that was its property "generic" by abandonment and assent to use. SCO can not now assert its rights given the doctrine of equitable estoppel, its own conduct, and its representations. SCO was and is a member of the United Linux group as well and SCO will be hard pressed explaining that arrangement away.

The memos out of Microsoft show real fear for the first time in Microsoft history. Europe is not likely enforce any judgment SCO might get and will likely pressure Microsoft on the EU claim of monopolistic and dumping practices that Microsoft has used in Europe and the Third world. Microsoft appears predatory and dangerous to Europe and is finally getting closed in on by powers it can not control. Unlike the US Feds and Congress, the Europeans, led by Germany, will not "cave in" nor assent to its demands. Ever wonder why DARPA mysteriously cut the funding on OpenBSD? It was reported that Germany caught Microsoft placing numerous backdoors in Windows that allowed untraceable access to sensitive data.

To place this matter in perspective one must look at SUSE's "Enterprise Server" software in smp 64 bit mode on the AMD Opteron. This is the future of server and workstation software and Microsoft is trying to stop it. Microsoft Windows (and related Office Products) has finally been hit by enough rocks thrown legally by the Free Software Foundation crowd to put several large cracks in its purported bullet proof marketing scheme.

I would bet this battle will be the most vicious legal software battle ever seen and Microsoft will directly enter and throw in millions more on lawyers.

In the end this will be probably become a story about Hubris with a Mr.Gates like figure as the main character set in and around Athens, Greece.

Posted May 21, 2003 23:21 UTC (Wed) by petegn (guest, #847) [Link]

of one thing you can be very shure ..

either the truth will never be heard in the open cus that pesky goat M$ wil bury it so deep
in crap you aint got a hope in hell ..

or

it will all come out in the wash and mr gaot M$ will get his horns pruned nuts chopped
and SCO will go bump big time ..