SCO's quarterly filing

Posted Sep 16, 2003 22:12 UTC (Tue) by dwalters (subscriber, #4207) [Link]

> Is this a possible and legal scenario?

Maybe, but if I had to put money on it, I'd bet that it won't happen.

At this point I think even MS knows that SCO's probably going to lose its various court battles (including ones that haven't even started yet; I'm sure there will be more complaints filed against SCO). I doubt that MS would want to inherit all of this negativity.

Posted Sep 17, 2003 1:42 UTC (Wed) by gdt (subscriber, #6284) [Link]

...what if MS acquires SCO completely...

then Sun's acquistition of SCO equity suddenly makes sense.

Posted Sep 17, 2003 7:53 UTC (Wed) by error27 (subscriber, #8346) [Link]

Microsoft would get all of SCO's liability as well. I think it's possible to make a case that SCO violated the GPL by distributing the kernel at the same time that they claim to the press that "the GPL is unconstitutional". People say (at least one former employee) that SCO used GPL code in Unixware so that's also something to think about.

If Microsoft had wanted to, it could have purchased TSG back when the company was only worth $10 million. Instead Microsoft spent over $20 million to keep them alive. As a PR move, keeping TSG independent is better than buying them outright.

More likely, instead of buying TSG Microsoft would just buy the copyrights to ancient Unix when TSG goes out of business.

Posted Sep 18, 2003 12:00 UTC (Thu) by daniel (subscriber, #3181) [Link]

what if MS acquires SCO completely and discontinues any unix licenses and tries to battle linux with lawyers?

As it stands, if counterclaims by IBM, Redhat and possibly others are successful, SCO is unlikely to have the means to pay the awards, but Microsoft as proud new owner should not have a problem.

Posted Sep 22, 2003 20:58 UTC (Mon) by crouchet (guest, #1084) [Link]

>> what if MS acquires SCO completely and discontinues any unix licenses and tries
to battle linux with lawyers?<<

Or someone else with lots of money and an interest in the case. There are a lot of
ways this could happen. For that matter, if IBM were to buy them and then quietly let the
case die -- for now -- that would mean they would be able to resurect all this later if
they wished or felt it necessary. And they would have the money to make it have a
serious impact. OTOH, if IBM bought those rights and then released them, that would
put the case to bed. Would IBM go the enlightened self interest route or the corporate
S.O.P. route? No way to tell.

As it stands a small company with somewhat limited funds is fighting the legal battle
and IBM is defending. That is far from being the worst possible scenario.

JC