OSDL Releases Position Paper on SCO and Linux
Posted Jul 31, 2003 19:46 UTC (Thu)
by mmarq (guest, #2332)
[Link] (1 responses)
Posted Jul 31, 2003 23:29 UTC (Thu)
by coriordan (guest, #7544)
[Link]
The thing that distinguishes this article from other "SCO 5uX0rs" articles is that OSDL have actually gotten someone as authoritive as Eben Moglen to work on this. Good stuff OSDL. Interesting paper too, nothing new but it's well written and to the point. Ciaran O'Riordan
Posted Aug 1, 2003 5:02 UTC (Fri)
by ksmathers (guest, #2353)
[Link] (7 responses)
As I read SCO's offer, it was a promise not to sue, not a threat to sue.
You can't just remove the not to get the alternative -- the opposite of a promise is an unknown, not a promise to do the opposite.
Posted Aug 1, 2003 6:46 UTC (Fri)
by donwaugaman (subscriber, #4214)
[Link] (1 responses)
See: "We believe that Linux infringes on our Unix intellectual property and other rights. We intend to aggressively protect and enforce these rights. Legal liability that may arise from the Linux development process may also rest with the end user." The implication, of course, is that those who use Linux may be liable for that use and are likely to be sued ("aggressively protect and enforce"). SCO hasn't got a leg to scam^H^H^Htand on, hence the weasel words above, but if threats like this can get companies to pay for a "binary license" they will have served their purpose.
Posted Aug 1, 2003 21:33 UTC (Fri)
by walterbyrd (guest, #11620)
[Link]
Actually, I don't think that is there purpose. In fact, I don't think scox want's anybody to buy a unixware license just to buy the right to use linux - if that happend, it might be a legal headache for scox. The real purpose is to pump the stock price. Traders think: "everybody else is going to think that scox unixware sales will skyrocket." So they buy scox for a quick trade, and the stock price goes up. Canopy Group is just trying to back out of some bad investments they made during the bubble. And it's working like a charm. SCO was less than a dollar a share before this scam started, now scox is selling for $13.25 a a share, and you better believe that insiders are selling like mad.
Posted Aug 1, 2003 8:30 UTC (Fri)
by glidentoo (guest, #13560)
[Link] (4 responses)
My English might not be that good, but as I read it, their offer to sell licenses for the use of Linux = to sell air for human being to breathe, it is free ........ (SCO does not own Linux, no one does, just because of some ambiguious code which SCO says belong to them does not entitle them own the whole software, coupled in the fact SCO is involved in the creation of Unitedlinux, the judgement could be SCO's code has to be GPLed as they put it in WILLINGLY) >As I read SCO's offer, it was a promise not to sue, not a threat to sue. >You can't just remove the not to get the alternative -- the opposite of a >promise is an unknown, not a promise to do the opposite. Again my English is not too good but it seems to me like :- I promise not to sue you if you buy my license for use of Linux, however, if the court pass the judgement against me, I cannot promise I would/could return the money to you with Interest as you had bought something legitimate, it's a licenses to use Linux from SCO, even though SCO does not own Linux, but if a transcation is done and you willingly pay for it, it's your problem. However, I cannot say I would not sue you if you did not buy. Does sound like a threat to me in a way.
Posted Aug 1, 2003 9:31 UTC (Fri)
by nowster (subscriber, #67)
[Link] (3 responses)
SCO does not own Linux, no one does. Actually, everyone who has contributed code to Linux owns that part of it, but has granted everyone else the right to use it freely. That's how the GPL works. The GPL is the stone in the stone soup.
Posted Aug 1, 2003 20:41 UTC (Fri)
by allesfresser (guest, #216)
[Link]
No wonder then, when someone tries to take all of the soup for themselves they find it a bit difficult to swallow... ;-)
Posted Aug 4, 2003 14:49 UTC (Mon)
by alexs (guest, #13637)
[Link] (1 responses)
read the XFree86 license and see why that is a license with more freedom.
Posted Aug 6, 2003 1:46 UTC (Wed)
by coriordan (guest, #7544)
[Link]
The GPL prohibits people from taking freedoms away from others. In most developed countries, we are not "free" to own or become slaves. This is not a useful freedom so we trade it for other benefits (the knowledge that we will not be enslaved). The GPL trades away a useless freedom (the freedom to take others freedom) and in return gives us the benefit of lasting freedom, in that it cannot be taken away. Ciaran O'Riordan
what a nerve!... arent there a law to punish wrongdoers from collecting ilegal "fees" from a product that is not theirs?... there isnt enough evidence?,... and this distribution of GPLed linux by SCO dosent make enough to prosecute them?... what a shameless face SCO present in all this case... worst could only be selling public landmarks to ocasional stupid patsys!
OSDL Releases Position Paper on SCO and Linux
Everyone here agrees with you.OSDL Releases Position Paper on SCO and Linux
(every article about SCO just generates 20 IANAL posts that agree with eachother...)
I'm somewhat confused by Eben Moglen's paper. Has SCO started threatening
to sue Linux users? I've read about their offer to sell licenses for the
use of Linux, but all I gleaned for incentive was the carrot, not the stick.
OSDL Releases Position Paper on SCO and Linux
Yes, SCO has threatened - in an oblique way - to sue Linux users.OSDL Releases Position Paper on SCO and Linux
<http://news.com.com/2100-1016-1001609.html> for details on the letter that SCO sent to 1500 Linux customers back in May. The key sentences are:
>>but if threats like this can get companies to pay for a "binary license" they will have served their purpose. <<OSDL Releases Position Paper on SCO and Linux
>'m somewhat confused by Eben Moglen's paper. Has SCO started threatening >to sue Linux users? I've read about their offer to sell licenses for the >use of Linux, but all I gleaned for incentive was the carrot, not the >stick. OSDL Releases Position Paper on SCO and Linux
OSDL Releases Position Paper on SCO and Linux
>The GPL is the stone in the stone soup.OSDL Releases Position Paper on SCO and Linux
you can not take GPLed Linux code and make up a closed source productOSDL Releases Position Paper on SCO and Linux
out of it - the GPL is not a free license in the end because it does
not totally expose its code to unlimited freedom.
> the GPL is not a free licenseOSDL Releases Position Paper on SCO and Linux