DNA Argument [LWN.net]

DNA Argument

Posted Aug 19, 2003 19:53 UTC (Tue) by burbank15 (guest, #6401)
Parent article: Why SCO won't show the code

The code in question may be relevant if SCO is really intending to press the "DNA" argument. The quote from McBride stating "The DNA of Linux is coming from Unix" is interesting. Combined with earlier statements concerning IP I wonder if this isn't another argument they're developing.

Granted I would be surprised if this is really what will form the basis of their case. How could you argue that ideas and processes that are available in any number of college texts without requiring an NDA can really belong to one company? Wouldn't this line of reasoning require that any programmer who attended any classes on OS design in the last 30+ years be willing to enter into some sort of contract with SCO. And SCO would have to convince the courts that the OS design theories that influenced Unix can be used without any contractual encumbrance, while processes developed for Unix do have contractual encumbrances.

*sigh* The more I read about this case, the more I think that someone such as Arianna Huffington should be writing a column about SCO. Any suggestions for the title? Note that she has already used "Pigs at the Trough" for a book.

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DNA Argument

Posted Aug 19, 2003 22:28 UTC (Tue) by nexex (subscriber, #14202) [Link]

someone such as Arianna Huffington should be writing a column -- I'm sorry but I think she is the last person qualified for something like that. She changes positions so many times her next book should be called Kama Sutra. She launches a run for Cali governor attacking people and businesses who use "loopholes" to lessen their tax burden, but lo and behold, she hardly payes taxes herself.

DNA Argument etc..

Posted Aug 21, 2003 2:38 UTC (Thu) by maguska (guest, #14290) [Link]

Well, Mr McBride might have forgotten that his DNA is more than 80% identical to Caenorhabditis Elegans (a "nice" worm with 302 neurons). I hope the small 20% difference will be enough to make him able to understand our reasons and pursuade him.

the other:
Since Linux is open source, SCO could also used it, and it's hard for them to prove that Linux is the copy and not their UNIX parts.

3rd:
They could also show the copied parts in Linux's open source code, they don't have to show their one. This would make it possible to rewrite the problematical parts without signing secrecy agreements (it has another name, but I've forgotten it by now :) ).

4th:
I was thinking about copyright law, and..
It would be funny if - for instance - the A-bomb team (A. Einstein, Fermi, Neumann Janos, Wiegner Jeno, Szilard Leo and Teller Ede) announce sueing Russia breaking A-bomb copyright (or patent, I don't know which). Teller Ede is still living, so it could be happen!

again, excuse me for grammatical mistakes
Maguska