SCO Files Notice of Cure Amounts Re Leases and Executory Contracts (Groklaw) [LWN.net]

Groklaw picks apart a lengthy SCO bankruptcy filing. "It is to me one of the most fascinating document SCO has ever filed. It presents a picture of SCO's business that is very different from what they have presented to the courts. One fascinating thing is that it seems it was possible to get UNIX System V after 1995, despite SCO testimony at trial in SCO v. Novell that after that time period you could only get UNIX by licensing UnixWare. Forget that you don't think this sales plan will ever happen. It's an opportunity to look at the innards of SCO's business. I went through every page, looking for what new customers, or any updating customers, licensed after 1995. I was curious to see whether UnixWare took off and UNIX drifted down or suddenly stopped after 1995. I had a theory that perhaps SCO didn't want to sell UNIX after that, so as to avoid paying Novell royalties. But what I found instead surprised me greatly."

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SCO Files Notice of Cure Amounts Re Leases and Executory Contracts (Groklaw)

Posted Jul 9, 2009 17:04 UTC (Thu) by trasz (guest, #45786) [Link] (6 responses)

So in the early nineties SCO - and the whole unix business - began to quickly lose market share, first to Novell, then to Microsoft. And then SCO sold some stuff. What's surprising in that?

SCO Files Notice of Cure Amounts Re Leases and Executory Contracts (Groklaw)

Posted Jul 9, 2009 21:11 UTC (Thu) by sbergman27 (guest, #10767) [Link] (4 responses)

Her coverage of what used to be a relevant case was a valuable public service at one time. Today, so many years later, it has apparently become nothing more than an all-consuming personal obsession which keeps a story alive and in the news, which would otherwise would have died of natural causes long ago.

Natural causes

Posted Jul 9, 2009 21:37 UTC (Thu) by AnswerGuy (guest, #1256) [Link] (2 responses)

I would contend that she's still performing a valuable service by keeping some media attention on a case which isn't quite dead yet. Were we to ignore SCOG it could yet cause our community quite a bit of harm.

More to the point she has engaged a large number of geeks and others surrounding our community to pay more attention to matters of law and politics ... reminding us how intrusive these aspects of life can be and hopefully providing people with some hope that they are not powerless to understand the arcane rituals and incantations of jurispeak.

Natural causes

Posted Jul 9, 2009 21:55 UTC (Thu) by einstein (subscriber, #2052) [Link]

I concur - SCO is trying all sorts of last minute legal shenanigans and sleight of hand, in an attempt to keep the thorn firmly lodged in our side and delivering yet more sharp pains, after it was presumed to have been neutralized. PJ is doing a valuable service in keeping the light shining on these folks until the matter really is finally resolved.

Natural causes

Posted Jul 10, 2009 16:26 UTC (Fri) by jordanb (guest, #45668) [Link]

> More to the point she has engaged a large number of geeks and others
> surrounding our community to pay more attention to matters of law and
> politics ... reminding us how intrusive these aspects of life can be and
> hopefully providing people with some hope that they are not powerless to
> understand the arcane rituals and incantations of jurispeak.

Thank God geeks are finally voicing some opinions about law and politics!

We've been silent for far too long!

SCO Files Notice of Cure Amounts Re Leases and Executory Contracts (Groklaw)

Posted Jul 10, 2009 12:29 UTC (Fri) by job (guest, #670) [Link]

I for one is happy someone keeps beating that zombie horse. It just won't stay dead!

SCO Files Notice of Cure Amounts Re Leases and Executory Contracts (Groklaw)

Posted Jul 10, 2009 20:30 UTC (Fri) by jd (guest, #26381) [Link]

I think that what's surprising is that SCO chose to lie under oath in the earlier case as to the reasons they were losing marketshare and when such losses were occurring. Ok, well, maybe "surprising" is a bit of a stretch, but IIRC the original case is either still underway or under appeal. In either case, SCO's bankruptcy filings might well end up being presented as evidence of testimony/filings in bad faith, contempt of court, and other such stuff. Cases that haven't yet reached court might even be subject to claims of frivolous lawsuits, with potential penalties exacted on SCO.

Of course, since I'm not a lawyer, I can't tell you if any of these are likely or if they'd even succeed. On the other hand, I'm absolutely certain no judge likes to be taken for a sucker, which almost has to affect SCO somehow.