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SCO Gives Notice To 6,000 Unix Licensees

inode_buddha writes "This article describes SCO's recent letters to its UNIX licensees, asking them to certify that they '...are not using Unix code in Linux.' It also notes another set of letters '...outlining additional evidence of copyright infringement to a subset of 1,500 global Linux users that SCO first contacted in May about copyright infringement.' There's also a decent breakdown of the company's balance sheet and some quotes from company officials. I hope to see one of those 'other' letters; could anyone post it? SCO better have asbestos underwear." Ask and receive: idiotnot adds "Here's the article from the Sydney Morning Herald. Here is a PDF Copy of the letter." "Yours truly"?

6 of 442 comments (clear)

  1. Better Business Bureau by DigiShaman · · Score: 4, Informative

    According to the BBB, this is what they have to say about SCO.

    "Based on BBB files, this company has a satisfactory record with the Bureau. Any complaints processed by the Bureau in its three-year reporting period have been resolved. The number and type of complaints are not unusual for a company in this industry. "

    Something is not....right.

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    Life is not for the lazy.
  2. Re:Phew... by G3ckoG33k · · Score: 5, Informative

    That is why you should consider visit Groklaw more often. They cover and uncover more SCO dirt than any one else on the net.

  3. A book by jbolden · · Score: 4, Informative

    You are forgetting the important point. Those comments came from a common source which was public -- a book on Unix. That is the copyright holder to the code:

    a) was known
    b) had published the information with intent that it might be used in other's code
    c) and therefore did not consider this code a "trade secret"

    What this means is that in SCO's example if they are claiming copyright violation then they've crossed over from a stupid civil suit to blatent criminal acts (i.e. its a felony to claim the copyright on something you do not have the rights to)

  4. The USL Case by Royster · · Score: 3, Informative

    The judge in the USL case ruled that the Unix header files were uncopyrightable. There's already a ruling on the books which holds that SCO has no leg to stand on here.

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  5. Meet them on their own terms by lildogie · · Score: 5, Informative

    If some "licensee" really feels that they ought to respond to the letter, but doesn't want to do a cpu-by-cpu certification, there are standard stalling tactics that they can use to keep SCO from calling them non-compliant until IBM kills SCO.

    For example, the day before the deadline, send a letter explaining there are exigent circumstances, and asking for a 90-day extension of the deadline.

    Repeat until SCO says no, then send a "please accept under separate cover" letter, referring to a document that seems to have gotten lost in the mail. Buy more time by "searcing" for the lost document.

    When SCO demands a new copy of the document be prepared and sent, send an open envelope, and marvel at the bad luck that the contents of the envelope have been lost.

    So on and so forth.

    All you have to do is stall until SCO is killed by the big guys.

  6. Re:Were letters actually sent? by walterbyrd · · Score: 3, Informative

    >>This is is a pretty good post, but that last one is right off an IBM press release. It could happen.

    According to scox's contract with novell, scox can not terminate anybody's UNIX license without expressed permission from novell. I think the contract is available on groklaw.net.