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HP Clarifies Indemnification Offer For Linux Users

Posted by timothy on from the do-scos-respond-to-mace dept.

After HP extended an offer of indemnification to users who purchase Linux through HP, SCO issued a strange press release: in it, SCO claims that HP's action actually supports SCO's claims that "issues exist" with the Linux kernel's legal status. In an article at NewsForge (like Slashdot, part of OSDN), HP's Martin Fink roundly denies SCO's backhanded interpretation; a followup story quotes Bruce Perens, Linus Torvalds and ESR on the HP offer. Linus: "Indemnification is wonderful. It might be a cynical marketing tactic, but if people are asking for it, why not?" The first article also points out the limited nature of HP's indemnification claims, which are definitely not blanket protection -- installing patches not approved by HP could well make them wash their hands of your machine.

7 of 275 comments (clear)

  1. first post by joe_bruin · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    i indemnify all slashdot users by this first post

  2. Without copyright, Linux users fine. by Thinkit3 · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Abolish copyright, and HP would have no need to do this. Without copyright, SCO's case against Linux users completely dries up. There may be a contract dispute, but that would only be between IBM and SCO. Actual linux users, who signed no contract, would be fine.

    --
    -Libertarian secular transhumanist
  3. What the... ?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic


    It's been announced that ncFtpd will not be released for BeOS... why are the developers ignoring a significant base of potential commercial users??

  4. MOD PARENT UP, FUNNY by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    even though I don't get it

  5. Why do we even bother... by wmaker · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    ... listening to this crap anymore, Do you really think any is going to pay the $699 dollars? NO. Are you going to stop using linux over it? NO (or at least i'm not). This whole thing is damned joke. SCO must have a telephone button for brains if they think this is going to happen.

    --

    What is slashdot?
  6. Re:Errr... okay... by skajake · · Score: 0, Offtopic
    This looks like the same logic as: "We haven't found any WMD's in Iraq. This proves that they are hiding them".

    Hmmm, it is good logic when you consider that WMD did infact exist and were documented by not only the UN SC but other international human rights groups. Check here for an unbiased documentation of Iraq's former WMD program.

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    ~ Maintainer of the Skajake Projects

  7. Re:Errr... okay... by jmv · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Of course, it explains why there's still no trace of them 6 months after the war. I think the worst one I heard was (I think from GWB, but not sure) along: "we didn't find any WMD's because nasty Saddam destroyed them before we attacked" (isn't it what you asked for).

    --
    Opus: the Swiss army knife of audio codec