The Score is IBM - 700,000 / SCO - 326

The Peanut Gallery writes "After years of litigation to discover what, exactly, SCO was suing about, IBM has finally discovered that SCO's 'mountain of code' is only 326 scattered lines. Worse, most of what is allegedly infringing are comments and simple header files (like errno.h). These probably aren't copyrightable for being unoriginal and dictated by externalities and aren't owned by SCO in any event. Above and beyond that, IBM has at least five separate licenses for these elements, including the GPL, even if SCO actually owned those lines of code. In contrast IBM is able to point out 700,000 lines of code, which they have properly registered copyrights for, which SCO is infringing upon if the Court rules that it repudiated the GPL."

Comments

Re:Linus says he wrote errno.h himself

[AltGrendel]

Umm, maybe he typed it himself.

Someone stop me...Can't help myself...

[FlatCatInASlatVat]

IBM: All your code base are belong to us. You have no chance to survive make your time.

Re:Someone stop me...Can't help myself...

[funfail]

For great justice at the court.

Re:Someone stop me...Can't help myself...

[daeg]

What SCO thought would happen:

In AD 2003, War was beginning.
IBM: What happen!
IBM Lawyer: Some set us up the lawsuit! We get signal.
IBM: Main screen turn on! It's you!
SCO: How are you gentlemen. All your code are belong to us. You are on the way to destruction.
IBM: What you say?!
SCO: You have no chance to survive make your time. Ha ha ha.

What really is happening:

IBM: All your stock are belong to us.

copyrighted code!

[TinBromide]

i have the following code copyrighted, get out your wallets and pay up or i will sue!

If (x){

Now that you have seen my copyrighted code, anyone who uses the above code in their programs must pay me a nickel!!!

Hold on, I just got a whisper from my patent lawyer, apparently some firm has trademarked the bracket ({) and my copyright is invalid. Carry on.

Re:copyrighted code!

[Vexorian]

Noo! I don't want to use python all the time!

Re:SCO stock

[acidrain]

I wonder how much sco.com will be sold for. Somebody should make it point to kernel.org, just as a lesson to the patent trolls.

Damn font

[Demona]

Looked like "emo.h". Which would be more than appropriate.

Re:SCO stock

[stratjakt]

100 lines, 12000000 lines, 10 lines, SCO wasn't flat out lying. They found something. That something might be enough to win the suit (maybe not a billion).

It would be interesting to watch SCOs stock. If it starts rising, it means investors are seeing it from their side, and seeing them as the winner here. Investors are detached emotionally, and will probably make a better call than any slashbotter.

Here are some of the lines:

[Rik Sweeney]

1. if
2. else
3. {
4. }
5. return;
6. continue;
7. break;
8. do
9. /*
10. */

Looks like SCO has the upper hand on IBM...

Re:The important point of the article

[Anonymous Coward]

Can I have my $699 back now?

Re:SCO stock

[p3d0]

Investors are detached emotionally, and will probably make a better call than any slashbotter. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Ha ha ha. Ha. Oh man, that's a good one.

Funny if it were fiction

[Applekid]

I'm having visions of future SCO moves prompted by their crack legal team:

1) Admitting an IBM model-M keyboard as evidence to the case.
2) Calling a monkey to the stand.
3) Yelling "objection" at random moments, even during recess.
4) Showing the court on the doll where IBM touched them.

Can we just throw out the case and stop with the wasting of money already?

Re:Funny if it were fiction

[analog_line]

You forgot the Chewbacca defense.

"If Chewbacca lives on Endor, IBM must pay us lots of money!"

Obligatory "300" quote...

[Captain Sarcastic]

So you are commenting without having seen the actual code? If so, how can you even so boldly assert anything without potentially deceiving yourself?

Because this... is... SLASHDOT!

Re:Your post is just silly

[spun]

Investors tend to be just as stupid and emotionally attached to things as anyone else. (Succesful investors are less so, just like some of the better /. posts are emotionally detached).

/. posts detached? I don't think that's the word you are looking for. Close, but the word you want is unhinged, not detached.

I especially like this quote...

[msauve]

from the transcript of the hearing:

"THE COURT: Where does this illustration come from in 46? This cup with all this money?

MR. MARRIOTT: Someone on our team made that up, Your Honor."

Re:SCO stock

[BierGuzzl]

Ya.. and those 700,000 lines of code copyrighted by IBM are mostly comments and header files anyways, and therefore unoriginal. IBM doesn't stand a chance.

Re:You're obviously not a coder, are you?

[Speare]

And this is before Martha even bothers to notice that Linux is buying butterscotch chips and way too much baking soda.

Wow, nice analogy. Three points:

• Since when does Linux run on butterscotch chips? Does it have drivers for the butterscotch duo?
• When did Martha Stewart get started in developing software? Is that a Good Thing?
• This is Slashdot. We prefer automotive analogies here.

Re:Just 1 function.....

[SnowZero]

Well, from the court document, here you go:

#define EPERM 1

That's PRETTY FUCKING AMAZING code.

Re:The Better posts

[RobertM1968]

/. is a great place for everyone who thinks he's a genius to rant.

Hey, I know I think I am a genius!!! ;-)

Re:SCO stock

[devnulljapan]

This is emotional to a lot of people yes. But we are also highly intelligent people who know quite a bit about this and how this came to be. While we may be emotional doesnt mean we are wrong!
Intelligent, yes. But one of us is having a hard time understanding sarcasm...

Re:Linus says he wrote errno.h himself

[idontgno]

You missed the #define before that:

#define DEFINE define

We're all geniuses here

[paladinwannabe2]

If you don't believe it, just ask us!

Re:SCO stock

[OriginalArlen]

If ever there was a case for cruel and unusual punishment, Darl is it. I say we make him spend the rest of his days as a Java programmer.