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OSCON Panel: SCO Lawsuit About the Money

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the well-there's-a-shocker dept.

viewstyle writes "Just when you had heard enough, the ongoing controversy about SCO vs. Linux has popped up over at the O'Reilly Open Source Convention (OSCON). According to Eweek's story, the panelists agreed that SCO is targeting companies like IBM in an attempt to raise cash. Most importantly: "if a company is not after money, suing is not the way to go.""

1 of 252 comments (clear)

  1. Third reason: sock puppet license fees by mec · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Those are the classical two reasons to sue. SCO has developed an innovative third reason.

    Look at SCO's revenue and income for the past quarter. They recorded $13 million from sales of products and services and $8 million from SCO Source. SCO Source has two customers: one is Microsoft, and the other is an unnamed large Unix company (I think it's likely to be Sun).

    On the income side, SCO lost money on products and services, but made up for it by making money from SCO Source.

    SCO has found a way to monetize anti-Linux FUD. This is not just a sideline. It's the only profitable activity The SCO Group has ever had in its corporate existence.

    SCO doesn't need to win the lawsuit. They just need throw enough FUD so that Microsoft keeps cutting them checks. I think it's important that open source people understand this business model.