ODSL awareness campaign misguided? [LWN.net]

ODSL awareness campaign misguided?

Posted Nov 27, 2003 1:35 UTC (Thu) by rknop (guest, #66)
In reply to: ODSL awareness campaign misguided? by walterbyrd
Parent article: OSDL Launches Linux Kernel Awareness Initiative

The idea that scox can sue linux end users is completely absurd - even if ibm did break some contract, even if there is illegal code in linux.

I agree that that idea is absurd. However, it's not obvious to me that it is impossible in the US legal system. There seem to be a number of things in civil law which are absurd. I frankly don't understand civil law, and seeing lawyers like those at SCO claim that it does such absurd things makes me deeply afraid of it.

-Rob

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ODSL awareness campaign misguided?

Posted Nov 27, 2003 4:42 UTC (Thu) by walterbyrd (guest, #11620) [Link]

>>I frankly don't understand civil law, and seeing lawyers like those at SCO claim that it does such absurd things makes me deeply afraid of it. <<

Oddly enough, that's my point. ODSL needs to assure end users that they can't be sued. For ODSL to argue that the code probably isn't illegal, is not very reassuring.

You can be absolutely 100% certain, that if it were possible for scox to sue linux end users, scox would have done so already. I have personally called scox and challenged them to sue me - I gave my real name, address, phone, and so on.

ODSL awareness campaign misguided?

Posted Nov 27, 2003 8:41 UTC (Thu) by eru (subscriber, #2753) [Link]

Oddly enough, that's my point. ODSL needs to assure end users that they can't be sued. For ODSL to argue that the code probably isn't illegal, is not very reassuring.

But OSDL is already doing precisely this, by hosting the Q&A by Lawrence Rosen (http://www.osdl.org/docs/qa_re_sco_vs_ibm_html.html ) and the paper by Eben Moglen (http://www.osdl.org/newsroom/articles/osdl_eben_moglen_position_paper.html )

Of course the problem is these are more than page-long, well-reasoned texts, whereas SCO's claims make nice headlines. Maybe OSDL should also make a pointy-haired... er, executive summary short enough to be printed on a paper napkin.