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Australian Linux User Group Fights Back Against SCO

ashitaka writes "The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting that an Open Source group has gone on the offensive in response to SCO's latest demands that Linux users must buy a Unixware license to avoid any possible future unpleasantries. 'Open Source Victoria today filed a complaint with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, asking it to investigate SCO's activities in light of 'unsubstantiated claims and extortive legal threats for money' against possibly hundreds of thousands of Australians.' I especially like the last bit: 'One feels that this whole fiasco is the IT industry equivalent of a Nigerian scam or internet extortion ploy.' Oh yeah.."

13 of 504 comments (clear)

  1. Patriotism... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Aussie Aussie Aussie!! OI OI OI!!

  2. I apologize ahead of time, but.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    A dingo ate my license! And, at their LUG meetings, do they serve Bloomin' Onions? Because if so, I'm moving there and joining.

  3. Well, if it's like the Nigerian "scam"... by cliffy2000 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Then I'm all for it! I just collected my $23 million dollars from the Nigerian government last week! I mean, seriously, what is there not to believe about such an offer? Now I'm all in favor of SCO! Maybe they'll give me ANOTHER $23 million! So I can buy some overpriced movie tickets! Boo MPAA ! (+5 Anti-MPAA)

  4. Breaking news by Rude+Awakening · · Score: 5, Funny

    More news from the SCO front: Recent revelations that SCO copyrights did not extend to the NUMA, SMP and RCU code in Linux has lead to a new copyright audit by SCO's legal team to investigate the copyright status of Synchronous Queue Utilization Auto Tracking code (SQUAT).

    "It appears from our latest audit that we may not have aquired SQUAT when we purchased AT&T's System V code."

    When asked how this would effect SCO's plan to license the Linux kernel, "We never really believed that SQUAT had been copied from the UnixWare source code into Linux, so the fact that we don't own SQUAT has little bearing on our plans to sell Linux kernel licensing"

  5. Global SCOresheet... by jkrise · · Score: 4, Funny

    US : Lots of noise, only 3 sane voices so far. ESR, RMS, Linus. Okay, Bruce.
    Germany: LinuxTAG kicks SCO, gets injunction.
    Australia: Fightback - no FUD please, we're Aussies.
    New Zealand: InstallFest proceeds smoothly despite arm twisting from big gorillas.
    Poland: Injunction.
    India : Please use OpenSource (President of India)
    Japan : Consortium of Electronics firms pledge to adopt Linux. Bride's personal visit futile.
    UK : Refer US, above.
    France: Do the French use computers?

    Please fill up for remaining countries....

    -

    --
    If you keep throwing chairs, one day you'll break windows....
    1. Re: Global SCOresheet... by Black+Parrot · · Score: 5, Funny


      > France: Do the French use computers?

      Yes, they just call them something else.

      --
      Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
  6. Tomorrow's news headline by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Change of strategy-
    SCO's Darl McBride states that Linux users in Australia and Germany are indemnified from potential litigation at this moment. McBride, in his trademark bold manner of speech, continues, "cuz they are all good folks, ya'know."

  7. Re:The joke is on them. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny
    I got a few interesting pieces of spam today.

    The first, "Your IP address is being broadcast to the entire world every time you use the Internet! Send us money!"
    The second, "You are using Linux! Send us money!"
    And apparently someone thinks my penis isn't long enough so I should pay them for that too.

  8. In Australia by hayden · · Score: 5, Funny

    We call a spade a fscking shovel mate.

    --
    Nerd: Derogatory term typically directed at anybody with a lower Slashdot ID than you.
  9. URGENT REPLY REQUESTED by l0ungeb0y · · Score: 5, Funny

    FROM: Mr. Darl McBride

    A close business friend has given me you electonique address for communication as I have PRESSING CIRCUMSTANCES that require your assistence.
    You see, I Mr. Darl McBride Esq. have a sum of US $100,000,000,000,000.00 due to me but can not on my own acquire these outstanding funds. You see I am the PRIME MINSTER OF CALDERA IP and as you may know have been DRIVEN INTO EXILE by IBM and their TYRRANICAL LINUX CONSPIRATORS AGAINST OUR SOVERIEGN NATION. Our matter of greatest importance demands that WE SEEK YOUR HELP. In return for assisting me, I will provide you 30% of the US $100,000,000,000,000.00 (US $30,000,000,000,000.00), all you need to do is provide me with your bank account number, a fascimile of your SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER, VALID DRIVERS LICENSE OR ID and CONSENT TO OUR NDA and LICENSING AGREEMENT.
    YOU SEE, YOU HAVE MUCH TO GAIN and I trust and pray that you will provide us the assistence we require in this time of need.

  10. Australian LUG,,, by bytesmythe · · Score: 5, Funny

    Bruce: Gentlemen, I'd like to introduce a chap from across the pond who's going to be joining us here at the 'Straylian LUG.
    Bruces: G'day!
    Darl McBride: Hello.
    Bruce: Darl McBride, Bruce. Darl McBride, Bruce. Darl McBride, Bruce.
    Bruce: Is your name not Bruce?
    McBride: No, it's Darl.
    Bruce: Mind if we call you Bruce to keep it clear?
    Bruce: Gentlemen, I think we better start the LUG meeting. Before we start, though, I'd like to ask the padre for a prayer!
    Bruce: Oh Stallman we beseech thee!
    Bruces: Amen!
    Bruce: Crack tube!
    Bruce: Now I call upon Bruce to officially welcome Mr. McBride to the 'Straylian LUG.
    Bruce: I'd like to welcome the slimy bastard to God's own OS, and remind him we don't like stuck-up sticky-beaks here.
    Bruces: Hear, hear! Well spoken, Bruce!
    Bruce: Bruce here is a kernel hacker, Bruce here is a system administrator, and Bruce here checks source code for copyright infringement. And is also in charge of the BitKeeper repository.
    Bruce: What's New-Bruce going to do?
    Bruce: New-Bruce will attempt to undermine the legality of the linux source code, mislead the public about the nature of SCO's copyrighted code, question the validity of the GPL, and possibly have a secret partnership with Microsoft to reduce the spread of linux in the server and desktop markets by using a smear campaign.
    Bruce: But that's a load of bullsh%t!
    Bruce: Awwww spit!
    Bruce: Howls of derisive laughter, Bruce!
    Bruces: Australia, Australia, Australia, Australia, we love ya! Amen!
    Bruce: Another tube!
    Bruce: Any questions?
    Bruce: New-Bruce, Are you a monopolist?
    Bruce: Are you a monopolist?
    McBride: No!
    Bruce: No. Right, I just want to remind you of the LUG member rules:
    Rule 1: No monopolists!
    Rule 2: No member of the LUG is to use SCO source code in the linux kernel... if there's anybody watching.
    Rule 3: No monopolists!
    Rule 4: Now this term, I don't want to see any member of the LUG not infringing on SCO's copyright.
    Rule 5: No monopolists!
    Rule 6: There is no!--- Rule 6!
    Rule 7: No monopolists!
    Right, that concludes the reading of the rules. Bruce!
    Bruce: This here's the penguin, the emblem of our source. You can feed it nasty SCO code, if you don't get caught, of course. Amen!

    Liiiiinuus Torvalds was nearly bald and made his own O-S, and linux it was called.
    Billy Gates came to take it away, but his server couldn't cut it. Linux was here to stay!
    Big Blue, Big Blue was supporting it too, and linux's growth seemed assured.
    Then Darl McBride came along and tried to sucker punch linux in the gut.

    There's nothing Stallman wouldn't call 'em when it came to G-P-L.
    He figured all the naysayers could die and go to hell!

    Buuuut linux wasn't taken and linux wasn't shaken. It wouldn't be that easy to kill(1)
    The penguin's here to stay, and if McBride won't play he can take his silly lawsuit and go away.
    Billy Gates, Billy Gates just stews and waits for the day when his junk is obsolete.
    And come that day we'll all go play Doom 3 on our linux boxen. Sweeeeet!

    Yes McBride can take his silly lawsuit and just go away.
    'Cause the GPL will hold up and open source will save the day!

    ====

    Sincerest apologies to Monty Python. And Australia, too. And linux... And the Australian LUG... And anyone mentioned in the above spoof. I'm truly sorry. Really. (And for the fact that the song meter isn't exactly correct... and that many of the facts mentioned are probably distorted. It's all just a joke, I promise!)

    --
    bytesmythe
    Hypocrisy is the resin that holds the plywood of society together.
    -- Scott Meyer
  11. Re: Good job! by lovebyte · · Score: 5, Funny

    They might intervene to kill it off...

    Linux is a Weapon of Microsoft's Destruction.

    --

    I'll do it for cheesy poofs.

  12. Re:The joke is on them. by vidnet · · Score: 4, Funny
    I think their theory is that since most of us don't pay for Linux, there is so much more money up for grabs.

    Half of the slashdot crowd would starve if it wasn't for mom's cooking! The joke's on you, SCO, you pathetic losers... Oh wait.