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SCO Prepares To Sue Linux End Users

Bootsy Collins writes "In a brief article, Computer Business Review Online quotes Darl McBride as saying that SCO has been busily identifying Linux end users and is preparing to launch lawsuits against them in order to encourage more such end users to buy licenses from SCO. SCO indicates that they'll start with a company that uses AIX, Dynix and Linux, so as to 'settle several legal arguments in one go.'" Not everyone is going to take the SCO approach sitting down; read on for a story on how (among others) Weta Digital and Australia's Massey University aren't jumping to say Uncle to SCO. Update: 08/20 13:11 GMT by T : Oops! Massey University is in New Zealand, not Australia.

Chris Brewer writes "Massey University's Helix supercomputer would incur a licensing charge of nearly US$100,000 for it's 132 CPU Beowulf cluster, and Weta Digital's render farm could cost somewhere between US$1.15 and US$1.5 million dollars at SCO's 'introductory' pricing, according to this Computerworld article. Massey's parallel computing director says it's unlikely that they'll buy a licence, instead, waiting for what the U.S. Courts decide. Weta's CTO Scott Houston says that they're also not going to buy a licence, but are focusing on making movies in the meantime."

20 of 1,209 comments (clear)

  1. Koan by waitigetit · · Score: 5, Funny

    Linus once asked SCO: "Does Linux have the SCO-nature?"
    SCO answered: "There is no Linux, only SCO."

    --
    I could care less, but not without a lobotomy
  2. Thats Better... by LordYUK · · Score: 5, Funny

    Lets see... morning coffee... morning donut... morning SCO story...

    the day can start now!

    --
    This is my sig. Its pathetic.
    1. Re:Thats Better... by 1010011010 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Lets see... morning coffee... morning donut... morning SCO story... morning microsoft virus outbreak...

      --
      Napster-to-go says "Fill and refill your compatible MP3 player", which is a lie. It's not MP3. It's WMA with DRM.
  3. OMG by borgdows · · Score: 5, Funny

    they'll start with a company that uses AIX, Dynix and Linux

    omg! they'll sue IBM again!

  4. I'm sending for my law degree by ebh · · Score: 3, Funny

    ...from a Prestigious NON-ACCREDITED University.

    Until SCO gets squashed, they'll be working so many actions at once, they'll hire any lawyer with a pulse. They'll be lucky if the IBM suit isn't argued by paralegals.

    Or maybe they'll just outsource the whole thing to India.

    1. Re:I'm sending for my law degree by elvum · · Score: 4, Funny

      Lawyers have pulses?

  5. World to SCO: by BiggerIsBetter · · Score: 3, Funny

    World to SCO: Fuck you.

    No love lost here then...

    --
    Forget thrust, drag, lift and weight. Airplanes fly because of money.
  6. Lets play IP-Infringment Mad-Libs! by dq5+studios · · Score: 5, Funny

    Lets play IP-Infringment Mad-Libs!

    "In a brief article, {Industry} Business Review Online quotes {Figurehead} as saying that {Company} has been busily identifying {Debated IP} end users and is preparing to launch lawsuits against them in order to encourage more such end users to buy licenses from {Company}. {Company} indicates that they'll start with a company that uses {Example IP 1}, {Example IP 2} and {Example 3}, so as to 'settle several legal arguments in one go.'"

  7. Not the Chewbacca quote by BabyDave · · Score: 4, Funny

    A different lawyer joke, for a bit of variety

    Judge: Mr. Hutz, we've been in here for four hours. Do you have any evidence at all?
    Hutz: Well, your Honor, we've got plenty of hearsay and conjecture, those are kinds of evidence.
  8. Trendy! Not Evil! by wbren · · Score: 4, Funny

    I wish you people would stop bashing SCO! They are obviously just trying to keep up with the latest trend of giant companies suing their customers and potential customers. They are just trying to be like every other company on the block. If your friend walked down the street in a pair of the newest Nike's, wouldn't you want a pair too? This case is no different! They are just trying to gain acceptance from the RIAA, MPAA etc.

    --
    -William Brendel
  9. Re:Lawsuits... by MImeKillEr · · Score: 5, Funny

    Are the people that received the complaints all sleeping or is SCO protected from legal investigation?

    I'm starting to believe that the group getting the complaints (Securities & Exchange Comission) may be genetic replicas of the morons who grant the patents over at the USPTO.

    --
    Cruising the internet on my TI-99/4A @ a whopping 300 baud!
  10. Re:The Samba team has already sent SCO a letter by sg_oneill · · Score: 3, Funny

    Because of this, we believe that the Samba must remain true to our principles and be freely available to use even in ways we personally disapprove of.

    Even when used by rank hypocrites like SCO.


    Goddam get these boys a beer. Open source commandos all the way. This warms my heart no end.

    I aprove!

    --
    Excuse the Unicode crap in my posts. That's an apostrophe, and slashdot is busted.
  11. Dear SCO by salesgeek · · Score: 4, Funny

    Here is the best answer I know to SCO's attempt to collect license fees:

    I'm afraid I can't pay your license fee as I do not use your SCO Unix product. Should I ever use your software, I will purchase it through my local SCO authorized partner.

    Very Sincerely,
    __________________

    P.S. Your legal department is horrible at sales and marketing. They don't exactly inspire me to want to do business with you.

    --
    -- $G
  12. Re:How are they identifying these Linux users? by MImeKillEr · · Score: 4, Funny

    Nah, just change it to something obscure & impossible. Take your pick:

    * Commodore Vic-20
    * ColecoVision
    * TI-99/4A
    * Apple ][
    * Adam
    * BIC 0.5mm #2 Pencil

    --
    Cruising the internet on my TI-99/4A @ a whopping 300 baud!
  13. SCO "Prepares" to sue Linux users by Karl+Cocknozzle · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...On a related note, I'm "preparing" to nail Shakira.

    --
    Who did what now?
  14. Re:SCO hasn't engaged in litigation, SCO has decla by dnoyeb · · Score: 4, Funny

    I don't get it. How is it going to sue linux users without showing them the code?

    Patriot Act?

  15. Calvin Peeing on SCO by TrekCycling · · Score: 4, Funny

    Can someone PLEASE come up with a sticker that has Calvin taking a leak on SCO pronto???!!!

  16. Linus says... by gosand · · Score: 5, Funny
    The title on the article over at Newsforge is " Linus on McBride's latest claim", but the only quote in it from Linus is short and sweet:
    When asked for a comment this morning, Linus Torvalds had this to say about McBride's claim of a million lines of SCO code in Linux: "He's lying."
    --

    My beliefs do not require that you agree with them.

  17. Re:Words to make the morning even better... by fenix+down · · Score: 3, Funny

    I wouldn't join. All SCO's money will be in some Indonesian whorehouse by the time you manage to get a judgement.

  18. My settlement offer with SCO by MAXOMENOS · · Score: 3, Funny
    Dear SCO:

    How about I give you the finger, and you go sell your scam to someone else?

    Thank you.