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SCO Postpones Lawsuit, Now Threatening Two
zzxc writes "In a surprise turn of events, SCO says that they need more time to prepare an announcement of who they are going to sue. According to SCO, the lawsuits will be announced tomorrow morning shortly before a phone-in conference in which will be outlining their financial report. You can call 1-800-818-5264 code 141144 Wednesday at 9:00am MST to join in with your questions, or listen to the webcast. They also have said that these first two lawsuits will be against companies that hold SCO Unix licenses. (EV1.net servers or Lindows?)"
What a surpise! Sheesh, this is never going to go anywhere.
Buckethead
They freak me out.
They are going to sue 1. Ev1servers.com 2. Microsoft just kidding. Google is probably on the list. Didn't SCO have a ceast and desist lawsuit until its proven?
They also have said that these first two lawsuits will be against companies that hold SCO Unix licenses. (EV1.net servers or Lindows?)"
Huh? That can't be right. How could they be suing EV1 when they've already paid their extort^K^K^K^Klicense money.
"We will sue TWO of them against the gates of the courtroom...IN ONE HOUR!"
Knunov
Why do users with IDs under 100,000 or over 700,000 usually have the most worthwhile comments?
.. does anyone ever wonder what we /.'ers will ever do once SCO finally succumbs(sp?) to their demise?
Somebody get on the call and ask them "If you have such a strong company and case, why do you feel the need to couple lawsuit announcements with your financial call?"
===== Murphy's Law is recursive. =====
Obviously logic hasn't played a big part in any of their actions, but why in the hell would they sue EV1, one of the few companies that bothered to buy an SCO license, not to mention the fact that they admitted it!
It's not exactly case of biting the hand that feeds you, but it certainly be a case of alienating an ally that probably doesn't need to be alienated.
They also have said that these first two lawsuits will be against companies that hold SCO Unix licenses.
When a company or organisation starts suing its own customers, then it's a sure sign that its business model is completely fucked. Look at the RIAA: suing Joe Teenager, to try and offset the fact that their profits are dropping like a lead balloon.
Tubal-Cain smokes the white owl.
All this play by play of SCO is really tiring. It's like a bunch of fleas issuing flyers every time the dog takes a walk. Yes, something's happening. No, it's not that important.
I have been pwned because my
I predict that SCO will be heavily traded tomorrow: People intellegent enough to know when they see the horrid profit reports to drop the stock. And a bunch of saps who will buy up the stock (ooh! litigation! money!). Oh, and I'm starting a pool on who will be sued: My guesses: SGI and HP
Jason Faulkner
Old Os Administrator
jason@oldos.org
oldos.
And I'm addicted to SCO news stories.
I'd hate to pay the bill for that telecon. Considering it usually costs $1 per minute per participant, perhaps we can put a dent in their extortion fund!
Seriously though, I hope the company that is hosting the telecon has a lot of lines reserved.
is for SCO to sue SCO. They are not a tech company but they use Linux. (go check Netcraft....they have actually dabbled in BSD for a bit on www.sco.com)
No trees were harmed in the composition of this; however, numerous electrons were inconvenienced.
This is the second announcement about an upcoming announcement today by SCO, right?
Meanwhile PJ at Groklaw is busy tearing them a new one over mentioning her in one of their propaganda blasts. Good reading. Hate to have her as one of my enemies.
This guy is way out there
I can't believe they are still around. Other countries take control and don't let them spread their junk. Why can't they be stopped here in the US too? I mean, it just urks me that after producing no evidence and spreading FUD, they haven't been required to stop, and in fact will file another backless lawsuit (or so the claim). Atleast its a good sign that they are taking so long. It shows that they're running out of juice
http://www.beyourowneviloverlord.tk
http://www.frozenchickenthrowing.tk
http://www.killercamel.tk
They must be pretty sure that they are gonna win then, why else would you risk alienating your customers? This just all reeks of a publicity stunt that is gonna be waisting the time of a court.
"They also have said that these first two lawsuits will be against companies that hold SCO Unix licenses." Wow. That's a great business plan. Alienate your few and diminishing customers.
"They also have said that these first two lawsuits will be against companies that hold SCO Unix licenses."
Wow, sounds like they're taking a page out of Metallica's book for this one.
"In case of emergency, break glass. Scream. Bleed to death."
I don't see why they may sue EV1. Perhaps is it me, but EV1 paid for their "Linux IP License", which should protect them. And anyway, it's about companies with SCO UNIX licenses, which is not the same, simply because it is a different product.
Could someone explain to me, why would they sue their own customers? Maybe I'm missing something, but it seems like going after someone who isn't paying sco would be a more logical choice.
EV1 already bought the licenses from SCO (what a shame!) why does SCO want to sue them?
Son Nguyen
on the next day 3, then 5, then 8, then 13, etc.
Crushing dreams at the speed of sarcasm
Thank goodness !! I was busy collecting 679$ for the linux license , cos I thought I might be the lucky one to be sued. (Since IBM didnt pay they might decide to sue me and get 680$ so that they can afford to place an advertisement to sell of their property(I mean the real estate and not the linux rights .) Now I guess I'll need to wait a few more days to get the letter from SCO.
They also have said that these first two lawsuits will be against companies that hold SCO Unix licenses. (EV1.net servers or Lindows?)"
Since EV1.net is in the process of climbing into bed with Microsoft, and SCO has been warming itself under the same blankets for quite some time, I think it more likely that Lindows will be sent to the doghouse.
Then again, in a vain attempt to turn back the tide of hatred directed at it, SCO might turn around and sue Microsoft. What a twist that would be!
Tubal-Cain smokes the white owl.
Interestingly enough, although their stock (SCOX) ha s been in a decline for the past few months (it was 16+ the last time that I saw) it jumped quite a bit today. Up 1.15 to 13.42. Any reason why?
I think SCO is waiting for the media outlets to sign and return the NDA before they let them know who the lawsuits are against.
Who really expected them to follow through? There continual refusals to provide proof of Linux infringing on SCO patents is ample evidence that their lawsuit has no basis. They (SCO executives) would be wise to not further expand their lawsuits, as each company they sue can countersue for defamation. Overall this seems like a big scam - intimidate businesses into giving SCO money for linux licenses,causing SCOX to rise, and enriching McBride & co at the expense of the clueless investors who continue to buy worthless stock.
I think you mean Duke Nukem Forever...
I mean really, how many companies still have SCO Unix licenses running anywhere? I'm willing to bet you'll find it's about two that still have a couple servers they haven't bothered to move to linux yet.
Check the last few years for sco unix sales and you'll find the companies getting sued, you'll find it's BOTH purchasers of SCO licenses!
We are going to postpone our suing of two companies but tomorrow we are going to sue THREE!
...buy a SCO licence, have SCO slap a lawsuit on you anyway?? How do they expect to sell licences after this insanity?? Kinda a matter of shooting oneself in the foot.
The probability that someone is watching you is directly proportional to the stupidity of your actions.
The #1 spot for Wired News' Vaporware Awards in 2004 goes to:
SCO for their "still pending" lawsuit! Congratulations guys!
The new business model for OSS: 1. Sell product that isn't yours .. as your own
2. ???
3. Use profits from your non-product to sue your customers
Steal This Sig
"has said the first two will be aimed at companies that hold Unix licenses" Is it just me or is SCO suing its customers? Yet another similarity between them and the RIAA
I guess that's really the only thing you can say about the SCO license holders who are about to be sued.
Could it be Pixar? Dont they have a huge render farm of linux boxes chugging away.. not an isp or net services and its a pretty well known company (Toy story, Monsters Inc, etc)..
However, I don't know if SCO had a unix contract with them which I believe was one of the things Darl said they would use against the company/companies.
If you had read the article the other day on Groklaw it stated that (I'm paraphrasing) that purchasing this license doesn't allow that user to actually USE SCO's intellectual property. All it really does is say "look, we know we're in the wrong here, so let's settle up".
Now because of the fact these people signed up for their license that shows they "admit guilt". So not only did they pay SCO the $799 (or whatever it is now) extortion fee, they also paid SCO to sue them. That's how the legal system works, my friends. EV1 and Lindows (if it's actually true) will get a first hand lesson now.
In a sense, buying a license under these methods and terms is basically the same as signing a confession to a crime that wasn't even committed.
in two months they'll be threatening to sue everyone on the planet the day after.
They also have said that these first two lawsuits will be against companies that hold SCO Unix licenses.
Wait, they are going to sue their customers?
Cheers,
RoadkillBunny
Too bad they didn't use it:
"Well, we were going to sue someone today, but they Paid us off (EV1.Net)."
Has a conference call ever been /.'d??
Because originally SCO architected and did the preliminary work as a Service deal. Part of the contract that SCO delivered to Lindows stated that SCO would 'take care' of the GPL aspects of the code and would not provide anything that might get Lindows into trouble such as tainted source code etc etc etc.....
Lindows later went their own way and pursued a more debian focused route, however the contract still stands, though is ulimately open to interpretation
Did EV1.net just admit their own previous culpability by buying the licenses?
They also have said that these first two lawsuits will be against companies that hold SCO Unix licenses. (EV1.net servers or Lindows?)
Stop giving the terrorists ideas!
You can't take the sky from me...
Perhaps someone should sell SCO the time they need to prepare their legal arguments. They seem to function on a modified form of M$ time (as indicated by M$ time remaining bars).
For Darl, our dear frined, this could be done by even giving him some time... in a small cell with a large man called Bubba. This should give Darl enough time but instead of hassling the world he might want to consider some 'internal' matters.
For all intensive purposes I also postulate that Tomorrow(tm)SCO will never come.
It would be over so fast that Darl's head would be spinning like Linda Blair's in "The Exorcist".
Ok, they will announce these lawsuits shortly after thier financial reports.
Is this to try to fool investors that might be ready to dump the stock.
How about suing the RIAA or Microsoft? They've made more than their share of boneheaded moves already - this would just be one more.
Striking fear in the authors of godawful fanfiction, I am here, appearing in darkness, Tuxedo Jack!
This whole PR stunt reminds that they at least are following the major points of a giving a presentation. There are basically three steps to presenting to an audience.
1. Tell them what you are going to tell them
2. Tell them
3. Tell them what you told them
It appears that SCO is telling us what they are going to tell us about the lawsuit and now they have told us that they are going to tell us that they told us so.
No trees were harmed in the composition of this; however, numerous electrons were inconvenienced.
I wonder if my SCO spoof will be the target
MoFscker
The question is where. This is just part of the MO by MS.
Stir up shit weekly, create FUD.
You are being MICROattacked, from various angles, in a SOFT manner.
They also have said that these first two lawsuits will be against companies that hold SCO Unix licenses. If there is any justice in this world, this should result in a flurry of calls to SCO asking "Any chance that I can cancel my SCO licenses before 9:00am Wednesday?"
"Freedom means freedom for everybody" -- Dick Cheney
Scare people into buying licences.. Sue them anyway..
Buckethead
Could they, would they, please be incredibly stupid enough to sue McDonald's, whose German operations are moving to SuSE. Talk about being crushed....
But it will take me a few years to figure out exactly *WHO*...and try to fabricate a reason with no proof or evidence.
Employment model my ass, this is where the bank is!
-1 Overrated (Too many big words for me to comprehend)
I'm just trolling for opinions here, anyone think this is a good time to hop on scox? I'm in it to make $$$$ and am wondering if the stock will go up. What do you think?
Since when has this country used intellectual elite as a pejorative term?
Haven't you posted this before?
It's not going to court. It was never intended to go and it's never going to. It's nothing more than a pump-n-dump scandal with their stock. n.b. Remember, they paid a good portion of their legal fees in stock. Now why would the company propose to do that and why would the landsharks agree to receive payment [in that format]?
Win some licensing battles, collect a little money, and raise some Wall Street eyebrows after they realize the outstanding potential and sign on to SCO, raising the price.
They also have said that these first two lawsuits will be against companies that hold SCO Unix licenses. (EV1.net servers or Lindows?)
Seems like they are saying they are going to sue someone who has already licensed Unixware or some other SCO-sold Unix OS, and *not* someone who has already licensed their "SCO IP," like EV1.
I bet they go after someone who has used SCO's OS in the past, but has been migrating to Linux. Nothing like a little retribution.
Of course, it's hard to tell with these bastards. They don't seem to be too.... stable. Mentally. Financially. Whatever.
Microsoft is to software what Budweiser is to beer.
That somehow it backfires such that when the press spins it, it comes out with headlines like "SCO begins suing own customers".
All this would take is the press paying any attention to anything not directly from SCO's mouth. But maybe that's wishful thinking.
...also was recently posted at Groklaw. Their lawyers really did a decent job in making most Darl's rantings nice and legal like.
BSD users might find paragraph 84 interesting, since SCO basically claims it was impossible for Linux to achieve "complex multi-processor functionality" without SCO's UNIX code.
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaait wait wait...
.... someone PLEASE tell me I read that wrong...
They're SUING their _own customers_!?!!
In a surprise turn of events...
Surprise to whom? Seriously, they've been "postponing" this since last year, why would anyone be surprised?
Do you have ESP?
They could sue Novell. They are using/selling Linux after all.
You don't talk about SCO.
I am Linus's complete lack of surprise.
That's a big Whisky Tango Foxtrot...
I was WAITING for that announcement. Just to see what these people are up to. How big will they go?
And do they have another patsy to settle with them to give their stock more legitimacy?
I vote for the second.
Look at the RIAA: suing Joe Teenager, to try and
offset the fact that their profits are dropping
like a lead balloon.
Lead balloon, that sounds like a good name for a band.
Don't try it. You might find yourself on the wrong end of a trademark dilution suit vs. Led Zepplin. B-)
Bantam Dominique roosters crow a four-note song. Once you've heard it as "Happy BIRTHday" you can't NOT hear it that way
mod this whore down, he stole this from some other guy yesterday. mods, you deserve to have your genitals bitten off for that.
Darl: "Thanks everybody for listening in on this financial meeting. We've got some really good numbers to talk about today. Our core product, Turbo Litigation Plus, is doing very well right now. We've got more penetration in the court room market than any of our competitors and we feel that things are only going to get better from here on out."
Investor: "Can I just say that I love what this latest release had done to stock prices. I'm sleeping on a bed of money at home right now."
Darl: "That's great to hear. We're glad your happy, but please hold your comments until I'm finished speaking."
Investor: "..."
Darl: "Right now I'd like to announce a couple more features that we've added to Turbo Litigation Plus."
Listeners: A hush....Pent up excitement...Maniacal greed...
Darl: "First, we've decided to add Hasbro to our list of targets. We've discovered that the substance that give's Nerf(TM) toys their "Nerfiness", if you will, is actually part of the Intellectual Property of SCO in a very literal sense. It's what makes up 90% of our brains over here."
Investor: "Excellent!"
Darl: "Please man! *slaps the table* Let me speak!"
Investor: "..."
Darl: "Secondly, after a toss up between Ronco, the maker of the indespensible Door Saver(TM) which of course was actually invented by Billy over here, and McDonalds, maker of the McDarl, we've chosen to add, wait for it, ourselves!"
Listeners: Gasp!
Darl: "Yes folks, we're going to sue ourselves. I mean think about it, we own all our own Intellectial Property, we only have to pay half as much in lawyer fees, and I love to cross examine myself."
Listeners: Applause
Darl: "Thank you all for your time. SCO Rules!"
Advisor: "Darl..."
Darl: "Sorry."
One bad monkey spoils the whole barrel.
kinda reminds me of that joke sign that says "free beer tomorrow".
"sue you tomorrow!"
Didn't know it took so much time for making up a Chewbacca Defense.
I bet one of them is AutoZone. SCO is pissed that AutoZone switched from SCO Unix to Linux, and claims that couldn't have been done without violating their IP. The meat of their argument is on groklaw here (Supplemental #8), and if you scroll down you can see some AutoZone employees refute the argument. Search for the comment by 'jbgreer'.
"There is a high possibility we will be announcing two!" said Blake Stowell Tuesday, while placing his pinky in front of his mouth as pictured here
"Freedom means freedom for everybody" -- Dick Cheney
Although SCO's actions have attracted some negative attention from the Open Source Community, many High Scool teacers are exhuberant about the company's recent actions. Bob Frampton, High School calculus teacher at Frederick Davis High said of SCO's recent actions, "It's just great, they're literally changing the way we teach mathematics to our future leaders. It's only thanks to SCO that we can ask exciting new problems such as, 'If every day SCO doubles the number of lawsuits they claim to file the following day, how many days will it take before nobody cares?' or, 'If SCO doesn't play this thing out right, how long will it take before the Fed nails them with fraud? Extra Credit: how many board members will get caught? Support your answer by proof.'"
Not just math teachers are thrilled, though. Says Jane Yargood of another local High School, "Darl McBride really deserves a cookie, it's so great that we can teach students about logical fallacies through real world context!" With the end of this somewhat less than momentous case nowhere in sight, it's good to see that some of our educators can find the silver lining in any situation.
`which fortune`
A swarm with a purpose! With great power comes great responsibility. Consider attending this your civic duty (-;
I bet if they announced they were suing EV1, their stock price would hit 40 before the call ended.
I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?
Could SCO be this comically stupid? Nah, I must be dreaming. I'm going to wake up.... Any minute now....
Slashdot: where racism against Indians is OK...
You noticed that too, can I sign you up?
-- Free software on every PC on every desk
This reminds me of the "Free Ice Cream Tomorrow" sign that a guy had at his ice cream store in the early 1900's... when asked about why he wasn't giving ice cream away even though the sign had been up for over a day already, his response was always the same "because it's not tomorrow yet... it's still today".
File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
Yeah, they're known as "bagholders". These are the imbeciles that know nothing about the company, the case(s) or in fact anything, except a) that the PR says "We'll sue" and b) When companies announce that they'll sue, they go up. Also, there was the "We sold an IP license" thingy, you might remember? The one that noone know if it brought in any money for SCOX, but it sure made a lot of PR!
Anyhow; The bagholders are then sold into by insiders, which make a tidy profit.
The job of the bagholders then is to sit around and watch the stock slowly fall down again.
Typically they'll panic and sell at a big loss. Some bagholders are smarter and hang around for the second wave of bagholders and make it out at plus/minus zero.
"You gonna bark all day little doggy, or are you gonna bite?" -- Mr. Blonde "Reservoir Dogs"
8% of Linux developers think SCO's case has merit
He is becoming the laughing stock of everyone.
What have we had -
- lies
- more lies
- hilarious claims
- court battles, ridiculous by any account
- accusations that he will sue (lies again)
Sigh... This guy is so strange. Is it something that can be traced back to mormonism? Does multi-wivery rot the brains?
He spent 2 years in Osaka trying to convert Buddhists to MORMANS and the most intellegent thing he can say about it is that he got free Japanese lessons?
/ yourmon ey/29boss.html
And the reason why Darl is the way he is?
"I am absolutely driven by people saying I can't do something."
Read more:
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/29/business
-- A cat is no trade for integrity!
I hope this is a joke, I mean a suprise??? The announcement did exactly what SCO et al intended, it turned around their falling stock price just prior to a quarterly finantial announcment. Just more FUD.
"Who are in control, they are not in control of anything - they don't even control themselves!" - Glen Beck
Sgi is the only party that I can think of that Sco has any real beef with, if they're smart that's who they'll go after.
Then again when you assume you make an ass out of u and me, and assuming that Sco is smart is risky.
Well art is art isn't it, but then again water is water; and east is east; and west is west; and if you take cranberries
What else would you expect, coming from a man whose very initials are "BS"?
"Freedom means freedom for everybody" -- Dick Cheney
The slashdot-effect on an 800 number?
You noticed that too, can I sign you up?
Your piece articulates many of my reservations concerning the whole outsourcing issue -- so yes, sign me up!
Tubal-Cain smokes the white owl.
The "ever-pending" lawsuits remind me of the sign you see in some bars:
Free beer (tomorrow)
*if* SCO win's (highly unlikely) we must declare holy Jyhad against the infidels Darl McBride and company.
Who's up for being the first to suicide bomb Lindon??
Don't you know it is now both immoral and criminal to think beyond the next quarterly report?
Comment removed based on user account deletion
after all, that would make about as much sence(and headlines) as anything else they've done.
;)
might be difficult to call microsoft a linux user however
"Nyquil - The stuffy, sneezy, why-the-hell-is-the-room-spinning medicine."
SCO knows that the licence sold to EV1 is illegal, and either they are afraid (EV1 can sue SCO first) or SCO wants more headlines like: "The fu***n SCO, sold the license".
I really don't think EV1 is up for suing here... They are saying that they will be suing someone who has a SCO Unix licence. That implies someone like SGI or IBM.
They're talking about their Unix licences here, not their Linux IP licences.
SCO was unprofitable last quarter but would have been in the black if not for a $9 million payout to its attorneys, In most companies, wouldn't this be grounds for a shareholder lawsuit?
"Freedom means freedom for everybody" -- Dick Cheney
Sully from Monsters, Inc. charges out of Darl McBride's bedroom closet at 3am, and believe you me, it's not to make him laugh.
5. "Darl McBride, -1 Troll!"
4. "New SCO docs at www.tubg...."
3. "Can someone help me fix a Perl script?"
2. "Bad news everyone, Stephen King is dead."
And the number one comment will be:
"Fuck you Darl!"
BTW, I'll be the one with the air horn.
"And a voice was screaming: 'Holy Jesus! What are these goddamn animals?'" - HST
I'm not an advocate of the "ignore the problem and maybe it will go away", but I can't help but feel that the highly public coverage of SCO's charade is nothing more than a method to inflate their stock. I honestly don't care any more.
Perhaps I'm placing too much faith in IBM, Linus, Red Hat, Novell, and numerous parties in their fight against the cancerous SCO, but I honestly believe that SCO has absolutely no chance of winning. If they did, we may as well quit our jobs right now before the market crumbles under their letigious ambitions drive us into the ground.
Let me reitterate. SCO, you have no chance of winning. Quit now and forever hold your peace.
assert(expired(knowledge));
...that SCO doesn't know what it's doing from one day to the next.
Enjoy throwing things ?
It seems to me that the benefit of going after Unix licensees is that those parties are bound by the terms of those licenses. Perhaps this is just a replay of their IBM breach-of-contract strategy, and another sign that they lack a valid claim against Linux users/GPL?
Moderators found this interesting, but it's still off topic.
And how many times do you need to repeat this posting before everyone gets your point, Mr. Karma Whore?
it's = "it is"; its = possessive. E.g., it's flapping its wings.
Suing just one or 2 companies for using Linux would be like suing random people for breathing and or drinking water....You really can't just pick and choose when suing someone can you? (Unless you are the RIAA....but at least they are going after teenage "thiefs" rather than respectable companies.)
(+1 Funny) only if I laugh out loud.
Really, isn't there some kind of button we could push to make SCO go away?
This is my sig.
Eldred vs. Ashcroft failed because there is nothing unconstitutional about extending copyright law by 20 years every 20 years. That's all it is. Plain and simple. The constitution gives congress a lot of power when it comes to granting rights to writings and discoveries, and you can't blame the founding fathers for not foreseeing our information-based world.
It sucks, yes. But the Supreme Court can't make the constitution say something it doesn't. Ginsberg said it best when she asked: "This flies in the face of what the founding fathers intended. But is it unconstitutional?".
We now return to your regularly SCO-duled programming.
Look for it on the right side of the front page.
I was in Walmart today, and the friendly greeter dude told me that Walmart struck a deal with SCO such that the 10th and 17th customers to order Linux pre-install systems tomorrow are getting sued for $14,345! A little surprise from Darl & Co.
Open Source: I'll show you mine if you show me yours.
... especially when you dropped $9 million on David Boies. You won't be able to do that for very long if you are suing, and being sued, by just about everybody.
Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens.
Slashdot: where racism against Indians is OK...
I think this is an unfair generalization. Geronimo, Cochise, and Sitting Bull are some of my favorite figures in history.
It's as bad as saying we're totally US centric. Sheesh.
Seconded. It's pretty interesting. Good to see someone with a little bite-back, not the regular "Yes Master McBride, We Do Believe You Unconditionally".
(Though I thought the joke about the wife-murderer was a little too obvious to deserve laughter)
Belief is the currency of delusion.
I can't find the Groklaw article now, but a summary from a Groklaw reader who "attended" one of their conference calls said that it was pretty obvious that SCO wasn't letting anybody ask questions that they didn't know (and therefore couldn't predict or spin to their advantage).
No sense in upsetting the investors with those questions they don't want to answer...
Jay (=
At the same time, they're claiming that the best way to avoid litigation with them is to sign a contract that acknowledges that they have more power over you (and Linux code) than most people believe they have any hope of proving in court.
Free Software: Like love, it grows best when given away.
From the rumor mill. Suicide CEO Darl McBribe sues Merill Lynch and Credit Suisse First Boston, announced at a financial press briefing for the embattled company. Sends Wall Street reeling!!! Analysts left scratching their heads.
a big chamber with 1000 ping pong balls in it. These of course correspond to the top 1000 linux using companies in the US. Woohoo.
Since they scheduled the announcement for their earnings call, the numbers must be truly awful this quarter. If they had good numbers to report, they wouldn't need a distraction like this.
Do you want to ask Darl McBride an embarrasing question or two in front of most of the financial world? Sure, we all do!
The problem, however, is this: In a financial results call, not just anyone is allowed to ask a question. The people presenting the call get to pick and choose who gets to speak. Usually, private investors, media, and anyone from a company that has generated bad press do not get called on. So what can we do to weasel our way to the front of the question queue?
Well, if SCO has set up their call intelligently, nothing. The access code, 141144, might be the public access code, with a different code (or even a different phone number) given to people who can be trusted to ask "good" questions. But if everyone is coming in on the same number, then we have a chance.
You'll know you have a shot at a question if, instead of being joined to the call immediately after entering your access code, you instead talk to an operator. The operator will most likely ask you your name, your company's name, and maybe your phone number. If this happens, lie to them. Make up a name and phone number, and tell them that you are with an investment firm. Just pick something: CIBC World Markets, Deutsche Bank, Merrill Lynch, Credit Suisse First Boston, Goldman Sachs, anything like that will do. Bonus points if you pick a company that has invested in SCO. Write down your information so that you can remember it! The trick is to make yourself look like you'll ask a safe question, so that they'll look at you in the queue and say, "Hey, let's take that Eddie Smith from CSFB next..."
If you do get called on for a question, remember:
1) Be polite. "OMG Darl SUXXORZ!!!" will just generate a "There are no further questions at this time" from the operator.
2) Ask a difficult question that Darl hasn't answered before. Let him hang himself, it'll sink in better with the investors that way.
3) Keep going until they cut you off. They're not likely to let many more unfamiliar names ask questions after this.
4) If anyone asks, you didn't get any of these ideas from Slashdot.
Here's hoping for a great conference tomorrow!
Could I have gotten so lucky as for SCO to have taken up my offer to sue me for selling and using Linux?
[100% ISO 646 Compliant]
SVM, ERGO MONSTRO.
Here is a little lawsuit we wrote
You might want to read it code for code
SCO worried, Geeks happy..
In every court we have some trouble
When you got IBM on your back it's double
SCO worried, Geeks happy........
Ain't no way to take back what we said
We slept in it, now we have to make our bed
SCO worried, Geeks happy
The land lord say our rent is late
The irony is, he may have to litigate
SCO worried, Geeks happy
Look at me I'm unhappy
SCO worried, Geeks happy
The press got ahold of my phone number
Nonstop pissed off people call me
Makes Slashdot so, happy
SCO worried, Geeks happy
Ain't got no cash, ain't got no style
Ain't got no code, makes you smile
SCO worried, Geeks happy
We doing nothing but worry
Our stockholders faces all frown
And that will bring our stock price down
So don't worry, SCO's unhappy....
There is this little company summons we wrote
I hope you tear it apart code by code
Like good little Slashdotters
SCO worried, Geeks happy
Listen to what I say
In your life don't expect no trouble
But when a company drives you to worry
DDOS them on he double
SCO worried, Geeks happy......
Don't worry just do it, be happy
Put a smile on your face
Bring our website down like this
Don't worry, we're almost bankrupt and this nonsense will pass
SCO worried, Geeks happy
SCO worried, Geeks happy
Yo Grark
Canadian Bred with American Buttering
At Enron, Glisan was convicted and is in the pen. (He's inmate #20293-179 at FDC Houston.) Fastow has pled guilty and is awaiting sentencing, which comes after he has "cooperated". He's cooperating. Skilling, the former CEO, has been indicted. Ken Lay is still unindicted, but that may yet happen.
At Worldcom, Sullivan just pled guilty, and Ebbers, the former CEO, has just been indicted.
It takes a while. But there is some justice left. Let's wait and see what happens with SCO.
It's so genius, it might actually work.
Karma: Not Particularly Funny.
McDonalds is my guess. Someone else guessed AutoZone because they are also moving away from SCO Unix. But I think McDonalds will have better PR punch, so that's where I'm putting my money. I think it's also realistic to assume that they will also make the announcement during the "earnings" call itself so as to minimize the amount of time they have to spend discussing just how horrible their balance sheet was last quarter.
They are going to sue a SCO UNIX license holder not Linux IP license.. but then again.... who can still keep track of all the happenings recently?
like I stated before it's like playing russian roulette with an unloaded BB gun...and this time, they removed the CO2 cartridge, or trying to mug someone with a whiffle bat....a NERF(r) one at that.
And this just proves it, they only kept the handle of that whiffle bat.
I am absolutely driven by people saying I can't do something.
..quite possibly with an eye to migrating from SCO's products. Darl, there is no way in hell you would win a suit against McDonalds. Their legal department would burn the SCO pimple right off of Utah's ass. Go ahead Darl. Sue McDonalds. I double dog dare you. You can't sue McDonalds and win.
Remember that kid we all knew when we were growing up that would take any dare? It was fun at first but you had to watch what you said around him after a while. Who wanted to explain to the kid's mom that he dared him to jump in front of a train? Darl seems to be just that sort of easily manipulated hothead.
Darl is no little kid. He's a rather nasty adult. He's already walked up to the biggest bully on the block and punched him in the nose. What else can we goad him into doing?
I like another poster's suggestion.
Hey Darl! We know you read Slashdot. So I'm going to make a dare with you. McDonalds is your largest customer. They even have a contractual relationship with you. And we all know what SCO says contracts are for. McDonalds has also been piloting Linux POS terminals in Germany at least.
"will be against companies that hold SCO Unix licenses"
I thought we were all supposed to buy licenses so we DIDN'T get sued by SCO... So they're trying to turn the open source community into paying customers by SUEING those who play by their rules...
good game, SCO.
For a starting bid of $666, you can be the owner of the very number used for SCO's litigation announcement! You will have the number 818-5264 transfered to your cell phone anywhere you live....
Patent: from Latin patere, to be open
The Ultimate vaporware
They've had to invent new General and Special Theories of SCO Financial Statements. We can only hope that Darl needs to spend a year dead for tax reasons.
the growth in cynicism and rebellion has not been without cause
In recent News, SCO Group launched a Denial of Service Attack against itself. It used raw sockets in Linux. SCO now plans to sue Linux because the code to make the raw sockets was really SCO's code. And SCO said that its employees didn't say they allowed code to be used in Linux because those employees don't exist.
They also have said that these first two lawsuits will be against companies that hold SCO Unix licenses
I'm confused So are they saying that they are going to start by prosecuting their own customers? How, in any form, is that smart??? Am I not understanding this remark??
Seems to me if I was a SCO Unix customer, this would be evidence that I need to take my business somewhere else and fast.
"Lawsuits Pending [tm]"
now we need to go OSS in diesel cars
I generally dont spend a lot of time reading parodies, but this one was good. I highly recommend it *after* watching the Darl interview video, posted on news.com front page today. Look for it on the right side of the page.
Who's up first
Higly entertaining content.
it's been done
No todo lo que es oro brilla
GPL projects should make exceptions and restrict the use of their software for EV1.net or anyone else that support SCO by paying similiar to what the author of NMAP has done. See how much they "protect" their users when they can't use glibc or the Linux kernel.
www.bleepyou.com
might be difficult to call microsoft a linux user however
Not as difficult as you might think.
[100% ISO 646 Compliant]
SVM, ERGO MONSTRO.
For a second there, I was afraid that I might be about to click on a goatse mirror, since you were talking about him placing his pinkie over his MOUTH.
Wh47 d1d j00 541, 31337 15n't t3h r0xor5 ne m0r3???
If the Microsoft Windows Media Player doesn't work (it stopped working for me, too much load maybe) try the Real video option. It worked for me.
SCO these days seems to be all bark and no bite.
OK, I give.
How do I feign surprise?
I have more and more emphaty for this company, because they turn out to be just like me...
So, as I've said, I just have to love SCO, because they are just like me. In fact they are just like most of us working here on Duke Nukem Forever. We are working forever...
Sincerely,
Pan Tarhei Hosé, PhD.
"Homo sum et cogito ergo odi profanum vulgus et libido."
Could you perhaps put a few more acronyms in your post so it's EVEN MORE CLEAR?
"They also have said that these first two lawsuits will be against companies that hold SCO Unix licenses"
So if I read this correctly, if you purchased a SCO license then SCO can sue you? huh? Pardon my ignorance but wasn't the whole reason these guys purchased licenses was to be protected from lawsuit?
Signed... really confused SCO hater.
Has Comcast disconnected your Internet account? Same here. You can read about it at http://comcastissue.blogspot.com
I mean, doesn't it defeat the point of having a DEADLINE if you're not going to follow it? Again, and again, and again...?
- Code Dark
Actually, they will wait 10 days, then sue 1024 users.
"that's not encryption - it's a new perl script that I'm working on..." - from some Matrix parody
You can listen to the call online here, once it starts:
http://biz.yahoo.com/cc/3/39693.html
John Susek
When I open the link, Epiphany pops up a Window telling me
You should only accept the security information if you trust "www.thescogroup.com" and "www.sco.com".
"When I first heard Daydream Nation it quite frankly scared the living shit out of me." -- Matthew Stearns
It must be a new trend for companies to sue their customers. Perhaps in fifty years, someone will look at this from an historical point of view...
The above document is an excerpt from a book not yet published, brought to you compliments of time travel.Comment removed based on user account deletion
Translation: let's basically DDOS their phone system.
If it was their website, you'd have a bunch of moralists telling you how bad it is to be doing it.
... In Lindon, Utah.
It's incredible. I mean, there is no way, I repeat, no way, these guys can be expected to be taken seriously. Without serious (M)$ backing them, how can they go on?
I was right!
Hi, we have been in the discussion with being a high profile candidate for SCO (advertising our Linux Support for our customer's solutions)... Our Lawyer said simply : Buy a set of Linux CD Boxes and Support from SuSE, now Novell! The older, the better!
If SCO or their Lawyers show, up show them that you are using this system, and friendly point towards the case between Novell and SCO, and that once the issues have been resolved between those 2 parties, you would be willing to comply with whatever the outcome is.
There are many synonyms for "to confuse", but "to confabulate" is not one of them. To confabulate means to fabricate a false memory based on your after-the-fact logical beliefs about what must have happened.
that was a gorgeous "SCO of the day"
...
("mdr" translates to "rotfl", but literally means in french "Death 'cause of laughing")
#include "coucou.h"
Granted this was using two different products at the same time but close enough.
MMO Quests are like orgasms:
You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.
It seems very likely, for AutoZone to maintain their same functioning infrastructure, they re-used some SCO interface or something that is considered an IP contract violations. (reasons to never sign anything in conjunction with SCO)
The other company has to be something approved by Microsoft, and presumably serving Microsoft's plan for world domination. It would also have to be another knock against Open Source, and a SCO contract/license holder.
Maybe this is all a big orchestrated move by EV1 & SCO to "sue" EV1 over linux usage, and then EV1 moves all linux servers over to SCO-approved binaries and SCO drops the lawsuits. (Why the hell else would EV1 be the first company to come out of the closet publicly regarding giving SCO extortion $$)
So other SCO Unix customers should drop that platform quickly ASAP, to avoid legal troubles.
There you are, staring at me again.
Just so I know when to start looking for news, what's the time difference between MST and GMT? TIA
Open Sauce!
Thank you, I'll be here all week. Don't forget to tip your waiter.
What is the sound of one hand clapping?
cat
that's so frightening that it to me sounds like the worst case scenario almost. and that, tied with Murphey's Law (or one of it's perversions), it should be closer to the truth then anything we've heard as of yet.
GENERATION 26: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the generation.
They settled and ponied up to SCO for licenses a while back.
Gutless. Utterly gutless.
Oddly Draconis
Too cynical to live, too stubborn to die.
Sweet buttery Jesus, man. You claim you're a teleconference operator, but you sound like a guerilla political activist. That is an awfully effective-sounding idea.
May we never see th
"SCO: Who Do You Want To Sue Today?"
Oh my GOD! I got it! I know who they're gonna sue!! Are you ready for it? You're not gonna believe this! ... IBM.
Any technology distinguishable from magic, is insufficiently advanced.
Dear M. Moderator,
/. Editors ? the Pizza Delivery Boy ?) can note how witty I am and how you should follow my words as Evangile and give me the goddam right to rule on moderators, and bind them all in the dark...
1/ Being funny is quite hard on itself.
Are you ready to put extra points because this guy is funny and on topic at the same time ?
2/ Being funny, even if not on topic, means he get +1 funny, being on topic and having something interesting to write means extra points...
3/ Metamoderation being what it is, I'll make a point of finding your mod and putting it as unfair, just as in "offtopic" (/me dreams...)
4/ I have Karma to burn, and you can only remove me a -1 "Stupid blatant Idiotic Poster". + I am sure you don't follow the posts you moderated, so I'm doing this post as a pure futility training, and will probably lose that 1 karma point... well, so be it. I'll even maybe reincarnate as a moderator...
5/ Sad we cannot sign our mods... Sad there isn't a "TOP 100 Best Moderators" with a listing of ppl that have, say, 95% of their mods metamoded as fair. Sad I'm posting this in the middle of nowhere where nobody of importance (moderators ?
Well, sorry Monkelectric that that dork modded you offtopic...
It takes 40+ muscles to frown, but only four to extend your arm and bitchslap the motherfucker
In a surprise turn of events, SCO says that they need more time...
Yeah right, and they lived happily ever after, or what?
They also have said that these first two lawsuits will be against companies that hold SCO Unix licenses.
Wouldn't that companies have already enough problems having to work with crappy SCO "Unix"? Why making things even worse by sueing them?
Dear SCO: What do you expect? That companies make the same mistake twice by buying another one of your licenses; this time for a product you can't even prove you own?
I must have taken the wrong drugs or something to have this prolonged nightmare. Can somebody please wake me up?
Look, this thing is totally safe! Built it myself, you know. You just press that button like this and then turn that lev
I just can't belive the gov isn't investigating SCO yet. Surly no one really belives SCO belive what they are doing is in their shareholders best interest. That alone is enough to have them put in jail.
VENI, VIDI, VICI, DIXI
In a surprise move Thursday, SCO said aain that it needs yet more time to prepare an announcement of who they are going to sue.
They also have said that these first FIVE lawsuits will be against companies that hold SCO Unix licenses.
Anyone else waiting for the webcast? I had the window opened, waiting for the call to start, and at 6:30 AM EST a conversation started on the subject of cheeseburgers and bad fast food availability in the area.
If anyone got a better chance of listening to that conversation, please share it with us!
On or two idiotic companies have taken thei generous offer, with who knows which ulterior motives unknown to us.
All the rest of the Linux community is just ignoring them and waiting for the legal outcome which most certainly will mean their end as a company and the complete and irreperable tarnishing of the reputation of the individuals and companies involved in this scam.
Frankly I don't see how they are pulling it off. It is only the legal passivity of the Linux hackers what is allowing this to go as far as it has.
IANAL but write like a drunk one.
To save you from a soon to be slash'd registration page (they don't need anymore fake emails)
SCO Group First Quarter 2004 Webcast and Conference Call (Wed, March 3 - 9am MT)
Windows Media Player
Real Player
you could report the vendor for false advertising as , no matter how much the vendor protests that it is not yet tomorrow, it is.
;o).
That's probably why I have never seen a sign like this
My favourite is the "Credit only given to those over 80 years of age who are in the company of both parents.".
I am NaN
as to who it may be. Specifically, this complaint shows that Auto Zone and Sherwin Williams are referenced by name in the IBM complaint as having been (as it were) convinced by IBM to commit copyright infringement against SCO.
Looks like good odds to me....
We are the Music Makers, and We are the Dreamers of Dreams...
Weren't the SCO licenses were supposed to protect ppl from SCO lawsuits? SCO won't get far in business if its customers fear lawsuits even after they buy products that are supposed to free them from that risk, and from the same company they bought them from no less.
from the msgboard at
: :-).
:-).
,but a little sceptical.
http://finance.yahoo.com/q/mb?s=SCOX
"In the news.com video Darl makes an utterly rediculous claim about GPL, claiming that if drug companies come up with a new formula for a drug on a linux machine they would have to license the formula under the GPL."
and this:
Anyone who has an interest in this case should watch this video.
The interviewer is well prepared and asks the hard questions. He makes Darl look like a bit of a clown.
He brings up the hard stuff.
Darl claims
- they own unix
- that the contract covers copyright xfer & deriviative works
- lawsuits, wont name company, but the company does not know.
- seems to have a 'green eye' attitude to Redhats success.
- says that SCO unix is the same as linux (ROFL LMAO)
- continues to claim that the license is customer driven (yeah right)
- mentions mydoom has connections to organisations that are funded by IBM ??? Groklaw is funded by IBM ??? Interviewer points out that SCO is basically funded by MSFT.
- Darl brings up Eldred/Ashcroft and private ownership and profit motive. (what about Redhats profits Darl?).
- Darl talks about GPL, mentions that GPL should == BSD. (Yeah so you can steal my work you thieving scumbucket).
- Darl talks about Open source == terrorism because of source access. Interviewer brings up Usenix letter nixing this idea.
- Darl confirms the NSA is NOT the target
- Darl agress they TOOK OUT trade secrets. Introduced copyrights in IBM case.
- tomorrows lawsuit IS copyright related.
Intervierwer mentions:
- that sun & msft are making the big payments and alludes that MSFT is the puppetmaster, but does it in a way that its 'not possible'
- asks why should people pay when SCO themselves dont know if they own the system.
- asks if I license now, do I get a special deal (Darl dodges)
- mentions Linus's rat comment, Darls IBM puppetmaster comments, but mentions that IBM is quite whereas SCO carries on.
- letter to congress. quotes from it. Darl goes on FSF/GPL rant.
- interviewer goes onto GPL. Darl talks about the cisco case, but without details.
- asks what it takes to get SCO respected. DM mentions Maccas, I responds thats a legacy from old SCO. Darl cries about Linux stealing his lunch (boo friggerty hoo - adapt or die).
- mentions that SCO blew services.
Darl comes across as personable, but clueless. The interviewer was super sharp, steering the interview the way he wanted it. However he WAS fair, giving Darl the chance to speak, and came across as willing to listen
Hot of the news feed! SCO Files Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Against AutoZone
Lawsuit Alleges Copyright Act Violations for Infringing Uses of SCO's
Copyright Protected UNIX System V Technology
LAS VEGAS, March 3 The SCO Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: SCOX), the owner of the UNIX(R) operating system and a leading provider of UNIX-based solutions, today announced it has filed suit against AutoZone, Inc., for its alleged violations of SCO's UNIX copyrights through its use of Linux.
SCO's lawsuit alleges the following:
* AutoZone violated SCO's UNIX copyrights by running versions of the Linux operating system that contain code, structure, sequence and/or organization from SCO's proprietary UNIX System V code in violation of SCO's copyrights.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Nevada, requests injunctive relief against AutoZone's further use or copying of any part of SCO's copyrighted materials and also requests damages as a result of AutoZone's infringement in an amount to be proven at trial.
be sure to tell them how you feel! (remember they have a vulgarity filter)
- a prominent competitor or strategic threat to microsoft, or
- a willing patsy ready to lose the case.
they're trying to establish precedent.
i wouldn't be too surprised if powers greater than those immediately obvious are trying to cripple the F/OSS movement. there are all kinds of power arrangements and financial interests at stake, and not just in business.
pr0n - keeping monitor glass spotless since 1981.
This is important.
Scox has stated that they have grounds to anybody for just *using* linux. For several months scox has been threatening to sue a company for using linux. Supposedly, this would prove scox has a case.
But, in this case, the suit is about copying SCO owned libraries, it has nothing to do with using Linux. AutoZone has allegedly copied some SCO software onto an OS that happens to be Linux. AutoZone is *not* being sued for using Linux.
This is classic scox-speak.
"They also have said that these first two lawsuits will be against companies that hold SCO Unix licenses. (EV1.net servers or Lindows?)"
Let me get this right, SCO is first going to sue the companies that bought their licenses to protect themselves from being sued? What's wrong with THAT?
Is "purchase of license"="proof of use" in SCO's mind? The irony is laughable
When all is said and done, nothing changes...
If you really want to get this done, people: quit complaining and buy 10 shares of SCO, call in to the investor conference and voice your will as a shareholder. Put your money where your mouth is! Demand the resignation of the current board of SCO!
The best protection for Autozone is instead of spending millions with lawyers, buy a half-million shares of SCO and demand the resignation of the board of directors! Any company that feels threatened by SCO should do the same. They should appoint their own board and liquidate the company.
They must feel they have nothing to lose. Instead of suing random ppl, they sue their own customers. They must really not give a damn about any business they may have been trying to run before these suits.
Eat at Joe's.
I dialed in 40 minutes early. I want the best seat in the house.
Ha, ha! Nobody ever says Italy.
"SCO Postpones Lawsuit, Now Threatening Two
I read that as.
SCO Postpones Lawsuit, Now Threatening Tivo
Moving along, nothing to see here.
Just announced by Darl on the conference call.
Time is what keeps everything from happening all at once.
Yesterday's close: 13.42
Today's close: 11.59
Percentage decline today: 13.64.
So maybe the call didn't go so well?
yea I thought that was an unusual mod to ... you just earned a friend :)
Religion is a gateway psychosis. -- Dave Foley
np, was a pleasure 8) and I did it quite selfishly too...after all, you made me laugh, so it was well worth it.
And I even got that karma point back from another moderator, so you're welcome 8)
It takes 40+ muscles to frown, but only four to extend your arm and bitchslap the motherfucker