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The SCO Boomerang and the Strength of Linux
karvind writes "PJ of Groklaw has written an insightful article on benefits flowing from SCO's litigation: GPL stands up in court, the community bonded more tightly than ever, encouraged increased support for FOSS and last but not the least heightened awareness of the benefits of using GNU/Linux systems. Article is also on Yahoo and NewsFactor."
The GPL was not "tested in court" the lawsuit was a contract dispute between SCO and IBM. Though i think it may have resulted in a few more PHB's hearing about linux and maybe being curious how it could save money to switch.
I'm getting increasingly pissed off with PJs "analysis" of how the GPL has stood up in court in this case and been shown to be robust. Yet I've yet to see any arguments given to the court about any aspects of the GPL and certainly not the more controversial stuff like: what constitutes linking?
If no arguments are put forward vis a vis the GPL then how can she say that it's been tested? She's hoodwinking herself and others and exaggerating greatly.
My opinion is that any license longer than about 12 lines can have holes shot in it, given enough lawyers, enough money and enough court time.
My further opinion is that rather than embracing GPL/Linux, most companies look for unencumbered code such as BSDL.
If you were developing some (proprietary or otherwise) app that needed something like readline, do you grab an encumbered library like GNU/readline or an unencumbered version?
BTW, if you want a hint, stay away from her Groklaw site. It's full of IANALs looking through the tea-leaves of the GPL and giving their worthless opinions. It requires you to have a lobotomy if you're to get any pleasure out of reading it....I suppose some wannabe lawyers might get some pleasure out of it but they're just a subset of those who've had lobotomies.
The primary threat to Linux is a broken development model and assimilation by big companies - RedHat, IBM. Not the merits or otherwise of the GPL.
The only thing that this court case has represented to most PHBs in mid-size companies is "Linux maybe illegal but if I buy a Linux server off IBM I'm probably in the clear" hence furthering the stranglehold of the big companies on Linux and the direction it goes in.
The Machine stops.