Germany Muzzles SCO

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Posted by Hemos on Monday March 1, 2004 @01:48AM from the one-step-closer dept.

skyryder12 writes " We have news from Germany. It seems, according to Computerworld, that SCO Group GmbH (SCO's German branch) agreed, on February 18, 2004, to an out-of-court settlement between it and Univention and will refrain from saying in Germany some things it says in the US constantly. There are four things they have agreed not to say in Germany, on pain of a fine of 10,000 euros per offense -- that's about $12,500 USD -- and one thing they can't say unless they present proof within a month of the settlement date. Story at GrokLaw"

14 of 349 comments (clear)

Good ol' Germans! by Xpilot · 2004-03-01 01:54 · Score: 5, Funny

Unlike Americans who are born with the lawyer gene, Germans are born with the engineer gene. So this decision is not so surprising ;)

--
"Backups are for wimps. Real men upload their data to an FTP site and have everyone else mirror it." -- Linus Torvalds
Germany has a sense of humor by Liselle · 2004-03-01 01:55 · Score: 5, Funny

Not only that, but it looks like their justice system has a sense of humor: SCO can't sue any Linux users except their own customers. That's comedy gold, right there. ;)

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Auto-reply to ACs: "Truly, you have a dizzying intellect."
1. Re:Germany has a sense of humor by jkrise · 2004-03-01 02:15 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Given the amount of mis-transalation and mis-representation by SCO in this case, I think it's best the press goes with this version - SCO can sue only Caldera / SCO Linux users in Germany. That seems pretty fair in this case.
  
  -
  
  --
  If you keep throwing chairs, one day you'll break windows....
Cat Got My Tongue by the_mad_poster · 2004-03-01 01:56 · Score: 4, Funny

4) Finally SCO Group GmbH is prohibited to threaten to sue Linux users unless they bought SCO Linux or Caldera Linux.

Hello, Darl? This is irony calling.

--
Alito: A vote for Alito is a punch in the eye to put that bitch back in her place!
1. Re:Cat Got My Tongue by mattjb0010 · 2004-03-01 02:01 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Hello, Darl? This is irony calling.
  
  Yeah, I'd like to take an iron to Darl too...
Germans... by SisyphusShrugged · 2004-03-01 01:59 · Score: 4, Funny

First the Germans do away with Nazis, then Scientology, then SCO!!

Seems like they are doing pretty good (At least recently...and they have a powerful Green Party!)

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Post apocalyptic gaming goodness
sue their own customers by cnb · 2004-03-01 02:05 · Score: 5, Funny

I asked a couple of others who speak German to make sure this last was an accurate translation, even holding off on the story for half a day, because it still sounds a bit odd. Evidently, they can sue their own customers in Germany if they feel like it.

Sounds like a cool twisted ploy to make them lose their two remaining german customers.

- cnb
The court of judge subjectstorm by subjectstorm · 2004-03-01 02:17 · Score: 5, Funny

person: judge storm! judge storm! the people of slashdot are badly misinterpretting item 4 to mean that SCO may only sue their own customers!

JS: mmm . . .

person: judge storm? shouldn't we correct them?

JS: no . . no, i'm going to allow this one.

person: but-

JS: SILENCE! my position is unassailable. now bring me a goblet of cheese and all 25 episodes of "Berserk". i need to do some thinking on more important matters . . . such as how that CAN'T be the LAST episode, can it?!?!? Griffith, you BASTARD!!!

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Re:Good to see... by Salsaman · 2004-03-01 02:22 · Score: 4, Funny

So you don't mind companies lying about their products ?
Then I have some marvellous snake oil for you, which will cure every known disease. I can let you have some very cheap.
German to English? by utlemming · 2004-03-01 02:41 · Score: 4, Funny

Forgive me, but someone has to say it --
"Die SCO Group"
When I started to read the German news report, I didn't go into German mode, and was throughly entertained to read that a news organization was saying to SCO "Die." But it was just saying "The SCO..." Oh well.

--
The views expressed are mine own and do not express the views of my employer.
Dear SCO by Lobo_Louie · 2004-03-01 02:42 · Score: 5, Funny

Dear SCO,
You're null unt void.
Signed,
Germany
You gotta love german by Anonymous Coward · 2004-03-01 03:15 · Score: 5, Funny

Any article that starts with...

Die SCO Group...

has got to be good!
Re:Finally by tomknight · 2004-03-01 03:22 · Score: 5, Funny

Havinmg misread the headline, I thought it weas some pretty strange action:
"Germany Nuzzles SCO"
I think it's time I went home.
Tom.

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Oh arse
thought experiment... by Chilles · 2004-03-01 03:35 · Score: 4, Funny

Rule 1) SCO Group GmbH (German branch of SCO) has agreed not to allege any more that Linux contains SCO's unlawfully acquired intellectual property.
Rule 2) The settlement also forbids SCO from claiming that if end users are running Linux they might be liable for breaches of SCO's intellectual property.
Rule 3) Also they cannot say that Linux is an unauthorized derivative of Unix.
Rule 4) Finally SCO Group GmbH is prohibited to threaten to sue Linux users unless they bought SCO Linux or Caldera Linux.

Fact 1: SCO Group GmbH get's fined EUR 10,000 if they break Rules 1 through 4.
Fact 2: Darl mcwhatever is CEO of SCO.
Theorem 1: SCO Group GmbH is a branch of SCO group and falls directly under SCO group.
extrapolation 1: If Theorem 1 holds then Darl mcwhatever is part of SCO Group GmbH.
Conclusion: If extrapolation 1 holds then SCO Group GmbH gets fined EUR 10.000 everytime Darl mcwhatever says or does anything covered by rules 1 through 4.

Does this mean that every SCO press release now costs them an additional EUR 10.000?
What about the sco.com website? is that a repeat offense every time someone presses refresh?