SCO Has "Made No Decision" On Linux IP Claims

Earlier today, a Slashdot post reported the possibility that SCO would attempt to collect royalty payments for intellectual property that SCO (according to that story) claims would make other Linux vendors liable to the tune of nearly $100 per Linux-running CPU. This report on NewsForge reports that SCO has issued a statement "disputing the claims in the story, but confirming that it does have significant asset claims in Unix IP and it is discussing 'possible strategies.'" Awfully ambiguous on SCO's part; I'd feel better about a straight denial.

Comments

SCO

[grub]

1. Buy "Unix" name
2. Lose millions
3. Scramble for cash
4. Come up with hair-brained idea as a 'Hail Mary'
5. ???
6. Bankruptcy!

Re:SCO

[dextr0us]

wow, an accurate buisness plan on slashdot! Amazing.

PS #5 could be hiring lawyers to defend charging $100 per linux pc.

Re:SCO

[TokyoBoy]

You forgot a step:

• 4.5 Steal Underpants

If it's SCOs IP then it's SCO's IP.

[stratjakt]

Coming soon to a warez group near you: Linux!

Correction to my comment on the previous story

[cyclist1200]

That board meeting must have gone something like this:

#1 "How can we better market our Linux distribution?"

#2 "I know! Let's launch the distribution, wait a couple of months, then beat the shit out of our competitors!"

#1 "I'm not sure that's a good idea..."

#2 "Why not? It worked for Microsoft!"

Cool! I managed to bash SCO and Microsoft in one irrational, ill-informed rant!

SCO's last words in the boardroom...

[Anonymous Coward]

Mr CEO, we've been mailing out demands for payments for the past six months, no one has remitted, out lawyers have resigned, we're on the verge of bankruptcy and all we have left is enough cash for one more stamp...

what do you want to do now?

Oh yeah....

[theLOUDroom]

They can have my Linux, when they pry it from my cold, dead hand.

Denial

[ackthpt]

Awfully ambiguous on SCO's part; I'd feel better about a straight denial.

Doesn't deny mean they are considering ... Well, at least they are not lying.

Denial usually means they are lying. i.e.

Cheney, advised by Enron execs on energy policy did nothing improper and releasing notes of the meeting would jeopardize national security

Willy: "I did not have sex with that woman"

North Korea: We are a peace loving nation

Translation

[Phil the Canuck]

For the PR-speak challenged:

"We have enough rope to hang ourselves with, but we're still arguing over which knot to use."

Re:BSD init

[Xerithane]

At that point SCO may as well forget their Caldera roots and stop selling Linux completely because no one will buy SCO Linux again.

again
adv.
1. Once more; anew:

If people bought it to start with, I don't think we'd have this problem.

Re:What IP are we talking about, exactly?

[John Hasler]

Yes, were the USPTO not staffed with ignorant bunglers.