What if SCO is Right?

b17bmbr writes " What if SCO is right. Bruce Perens was quoted with this scenario. "it's entirely possible that SCO was inadvertently distributing its own proprietary Unix code in its version of Linux. In that case, SCO would've already released its Unix source code into open source". But here's the catch: Does this validate Microsoft's view of a "viral GPL"?"

Comments

Bruce Perens?

[Anonymous Coward]

Doesn't he have a job to get fired from or something?

Worst case

[Ed Avis]

If SCO is right, and if SCO manages to prevail in court, then expect to see 'Red Hat FreeBSD' fairly quickly.

SCO's lawyers are probably thinking...

[defile]

That if they draw the Linux community proper into a legal battle, that in court the judge will see SCO's lawyers, all sharp and buttoned down, representing tireless innovators who are meekly trying to defend their intellectual property, and on the other side, will see unwashed, smelly, hairy anti-capitalist hackers trying to rape and pillage all of the intellectual property in the world in support of some fanatical anti-business ideal.

The judge doesn't even have to hear an argument, he slams the gavel, case closed. SCO wins.

Boy, do they have another thing coming.

If there's one thing that hackers like to tinker with besides technology, it's law.

I'd watch it on C-SPAN with a bucket of popcorn.

Hemorrhoids and Trench Mouth

[malia8888]

The campaign, in which the executives have compared open-source software to viruses and cancer, comes at a time when some observers believe Microsoft is worried that Linux--the best-known open-source project--will undermine the Microsoft.Net strategy for joining desktop computer users with sophisticated Internet services.

Microsoft inadvertently gave open-source a compliment. If open-source is a virus and a cancer--two rather successful entities in the physical world-- then Microsoft is hemorrhoids and trench mouth. These maladies are irritating but easy to eradicate. Viruses and cancer are not easy to "rub out".

Perhaps this is a portent of things to come? Maybe eventually the open source community will flourish and Microsoft will not.

This is probably too much to ask for.

Viral Programming License (VPL)

[WetCat]

BY READING THIS LICENSE TEXT YOU THEREFORE AGREE
TO THIS VPL LICENSE AND OBLIGATED TO RELEASE ALL YOUR SOFTWARE, CURRENT AND FUTURE ONLY BY Viral Programming License (VPL). (license clauses follows, that explain what you can and cannot do with source code, bla bla bla).

Re:Yes it would hurt their case

[david duncan scott]

Yes, I'm in favour of a return to trial by combat, although a good Committee of Public Safety can accomplish a great deal in a short time.

Or perhaps trial by wombat. I'm not sure how that would work, but it could be entertaining for the children.