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IBM Moves To Enforce GPL By Summary Judgement
gvc writes "So much for the GPL 'never being tested in court.' IBM, in its third motion for summary judgement against SCO, is seeking a permanent injunction against SCO's distribution of Linux, on the grounds that SCO has renounced and violated the GPL, and therefore has no right to distribute the 700,000 lines of IBM-copyrighted code therein. As usual, Groklaw broke the story." We previously reported on another IBM summary judgement from earlier this week.
A major corporation using the legal system to enforce copyrights involved in a license the OSS movement agrees with?
What to do, what to DO...
Hell reported unusually warm weather patterns emerging from the Upper North-West (aka Lindon Utah) where it's rumored Lucifer SoT Morning was last seen residing...
Well, it looks like SCO has really messed up now. "Hey, everybody! The license that let's us use your code isn't valid!" What on earth were they thinking? Talk about shooting yourself in the foot...
Looks like even Wall Street sees where this is headed: SCOX
Speak before you think
IBM (the big evil, the microsoft of the 80's) defending the GPL (the move started to combat proprietary lockin like IBM's). Richard Stallman must be turning in his... oh, wait.
But SCO can produce something IBM can't - bullshit, and truckloads of it
Business Voyeur
I don't know why but seen IBM doing this stuff kinds of reminds me of Darth Vader changing camp after having been in the wrong one for most of is existence. :)
Yahh, hiii haaaaa! -Major Kong, from Dr. Strangelove
So much for the GPL 'never being tested in court.'
Welcome to the club, glad you could make it.
Sincerely, BSD License
Don't blame me, I didn't vote for either of them!
I think we should all get behind IBM and support them. Does anyone know if they have a pay-pal account where we can make donations?
Since they're doing it because they see a buck in OSS, they can amend the tattoo to read "MOSTLY EVIL" or "NO QUITE EVIL". (If there's room, "I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S NOT EVIL"...)
So, do you mean that now IBM will remove its evil looking mask to reveal its ugly face and then die silent yet glorious death on Linus' lap?
Raf
Hey, put yourself in the shoes of a low-level manager at IBM:
New PHB: (pokes head into mid-level boss' office) Psst! Hey Boss! Gotta minute?
Old PHB: Yeah, what is it?
New PHB: Uh, you know how other companies have problems with employees surfing Fark.com, porn, eBay, et al? Well, I've discovered that our employees are goofing off by... (looks left, looks right, whispers)... developing that free Linux operating system during work hours, when they don't think I'm looking!
Old PHB: Hmmm... well, if we discipline them, we'll have a morale problem... if we fire them, they'll take our secrets to the competitors... tell you what, why don't you look into this Linux thing, see if we can make some money with it.
"He who throws mud, loses ground." - proverb
Because they wouldn't be legally allowed to. Only the copyright holder is allowed to sue, and for GNU projects, the FSF is the only copyright holder.
IBM: "Good morning, Mr Stallman. We understand SCO is violating the GPL on your software. Would you like to borrow a couple hundred lawyers, or shall we just write you a blank check?"
I don't see copyright law getting in the way of IBM hurting SCO in that scenario...
IBM spent millions (at least) for the code that IBM contributed to Linux. IBM has spent millions more defending Linux in court.
So what if IBM manages to make some money from their investment/contributions?
I don't know why but seen IBM doing this stuff kinds of reminds me of Darth Vader changing camp after having been in the wrong one for most of is existence. :)
But IBM *lost* the Clone Wars. Or is this saying something I didn't know about Episode III?