2003 Linux Timeline: October [LWN.net]

We have, however, discovered a variant of Brooks's Law: adding more lawyers to a GPL violation usually makes it take longer.

--Dave Turner, FSF

IBM files new counterclaims against SCO stating since SCO distributed Linux under the GPL, it can't apply a different license now.

SGI admits to putting small amounts of SYSV code into Linux (open letter).

South Korea announces a plan to replace proprietary software with the free variety on 20-30% of its systems by 2007.

Turbolinux 10 Desktop is released (press release).

OpenOffice.org 1.1 is released (announcement).

SCO notes that discovery has just begin and it has not yet received responsive discovery from IBM that would allow it to fully answer this question because part of this information is peculiarly within the knowledge of IBM.

--SCO can't say what IBM stole

IBM files a motion to compel SCO to back up its claims after SCO stonewalls.

ICANN orders VeriSign to remove its .com and .net wildcards and shut down the SiteFinder service. Verisign complies grudgingly.

People trying to buy a "Linux license" from SCO are unsuccessful (runaround story).

The MediaMax CD3 copy protection system is analyzed; turns out that holding down the shift key (or running Linux) is sufficient to bypass the system (analysis).

We view SCOX as a call option on a substantial lawsuit against IBM and the potential to capitalize on Linux. Investors should consider an investment in SCOX as extremely high risk that may yield a substantial return or may collapse in value

--Deutsche Bank recommends SCO stock

SuSE Linux becomes SUSE LINUX, perhaps as the result of a stuck caps-lock key (press release).

The last Netscape employees are laid off by AOL.

LinkSys releases more code from its WRT54G router satisfying most (but not all) critics. [Mandrake]

Mandrake Linux 9.2 is released (announcement).

The Bernstein crypto export case winds down after eight years.

Red Hat, despite the complete absence of any ownership rights whatsoever in the Linux kernels, seeks a declaration that these Linux kernels do not infringe SCO's intellectual property rights.

--SCO in the Red Hat case

The General Public License ("GPL") is unenforceable, void and/or voidable, and IBM's claims based thereon or related thereto are barred.... The GPL violates the U.S. Constitution, together with copyright, antitrust, and export control laws, and IBM's claims based thereon, or related thereto, are barred.

--SCO in the IBM case

SCO receives a $50 million equity investment from BayStar and the Royal Bank of Canada.

SCO announces a new deal with its lawyers; they get $1 million, 400,000 shares, and 20% of any settlement, licensing deals, or sale of the company.

SCO backs down against SGI, having evidently been satisfied by the removal of 200 lines of code.

SCO extends its "half price Linux license" deadline, delays sending out invoices, and says that only large companies can buy a license for the time being.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 is released (press release).

Diebold threatens DMCA suits against college students after they post Diebold email showing the company's lack of concern for security in its electronic voting systems.

The Free Software Foundation is the only entity that can enforce the GPL so, in effect, IBM is barred from trying to enforce the GPL with SCO.

--SCO spokesman Blake Stowell

The 2.6.0-test9 kernel is released; this is probably the only development kernel to ever get its own press release.

Italy issues new directives favoring open source software in public sector acquisitions.

SUSE Linux 9.0 is released (announcement).

<== September

Timeline home

November ==>

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