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SCO Extorting Unixware Licenses to Linux Users?

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the but-i-don't-want-unixware dept.

An anonymous user noted that SCO will sell you Unixware if you want to "Legitimize" your usage of Linux at your company. If you buy the license, you will be held blameless for your transgressions against SCO! Pricing has yet to be determined for the special licenses, but I suspect that for any value greater than zero, there are going to be a fair number of angry users.

3 of 576 comments (clear)

  1. Why not just use the GPL by yamla · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Rather than buying a license, why not just go to their ftp site and download the source code to the Linux kernel? SCO is still distributing the Linux kernel sources under the GPL.

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  2. Re:Why greater than zero? by Shiblon · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Even if the price is zero, then I'm personally likely to be angry enough as it is. This is all about accepting that SCO is in the right...

    Actually, it's a bit more than that. Since nothing has yet been proven and all of this is allegation, isn't this just a form of blackmail? Isn't that illegal? Here is a definition of "blackmail", which I find very interesting indeed:

    Extortion of money or something else of value from a person by the threat of exposing a criminal act or discreditable information.

    It isn't much of a stretch to see how today the threat of "exposing a criminal act or discreditable information" has the same effect as "threatening to sue the pants off of someone for alleged and unproven wrongdoing." Perhaps even more interesting is the relationship of this next definition to SCO's current approach:

    Tribute formerly paid to freebooters along the Scottish border for protection from pillage.

    (All of these from dictionary.com) That last one is all about what SCO wants: "We're the pirates, pay us and we won't harm you."

    I may be wrong (hey, it's happened before), but I find it interesting that the people who shout most loudly about their legal rights are often those quickest to disregard the rights of others.

  3. Darl McBride's word by bigjnsa500 · · Score: 5, Interesting
    I think we should hold this guy to his word. For those of you who didn't get this month Linux Journal, here's a quote:

    "Obviously Linux owes its heritage to UNIX, but not its code. We would not, nor will not, make such a claim."

    Darl McBride, CEO, The SCO Group, August 2002 Linux Journal Article #6293

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