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Creditor Objects To SCO's Plans
I Don't Believe in Imaginary Property writes "It seems that SCO is never without a trick up its sleeve. In the new '$100 million' reorganization plan, $5 million of which is cash and $95 million credit, one of the creditors is protesting because SCO is hiding the Definitive Documents until there's no time to object. In their own words, 'The debtors are proposing to file the Disclosure Statement 33 days before the hearing, in compliance with the requirement that it be filed at least 25 days before the hearing (F. R. Bankr. P. 3017). However, it is clear that this Disclosure Statement will be inadequate for evaluating the Plan, because it will not include any of the Definitive Documents. The Debtors are proposing to file the Definitive Documents separately, and to do so a mere five business days before the hearing, which is zero days before objections are due.'"
Hiding important information has always been one of SCO's favourite strategies, right? (e.g. "Linux infringes on our IP, but we can't tell you where, how, or why.").
SCO was able to spew its fud at will in America, no proof required. In Germany they got slapped down. The German courts said in effect: "If you can't prove what you're saying is true, you have to shut up."
It is pathetic that SCO has been able to drag this farce out for so long.
Here is the real story:
Legitimate businesses are dying for venture capital. And here it is, being wasted.
I know, I know, don't feed the trolls. . . but he's so cuuuuuutte.
Judge Kimball already found that there was never any transfer of copyright. SCO's copyright registration was fraudulent (well, I suppose you could make the argument that it isn't fraud if they really *believed* they owned the copyright, but nevertheless, it's still invalid). It's already been decided that SCO does not own Unix copyrights or trademarks (the trademark issue was not decided in court, I do not believe, but by the US Patent and Trademark Office, I believe, which said that Unix was already a trademark owned by the Open Group [which anyone could have told SCO, but they wouldn't listen, of course]).
Basically, SCO owns no part of Unix.
There's also the *small* problem that they've never actually demonstrated any infringement by Linux, even if they *did* own Unix. Which they don't.
This whole Bankruptcy charade, as far as I can tell, has mostly been about delaying the inevitable, so that SCO's execs and board of director could continue to get salaries and outrageous bonuses for as long as possible, bleeding the company dry and leaving a worthless, dessicated carcass for Novell, IBM, Red Hat, and Autozone to fight over.
Speaking of tags. . .
Holding knowledge of another's dark secrets is one of the foremost ways the game of politics is played.
I remember knowing the daughter of a political figure who had taught her well; he took her out drinking often when she was only a young teen so that she could build up a high tolerance to alcohol. He taught her how to dig up secrets in her opponents, and he taught her how to corrupt her fellows so that they would have secrets to fear losing control of. He was grooming he for political life; in short, he taught her the ways of Fear.
Early on when I met her, I told her that my way of living was to remain open about everything; there was no secret I would be too frightened to share, and in this way, there was no way I could be bound or controlled. I saw fear in her eyes when she looked at me then, and I didn't understand why until I got to know her better.
I have seen more harm arise from secrets kept than I ever would have imagined possible. And I have seen the most ludicrous acts which would normally be sorely condemned by society, not only easily forgiven but benefited from by entire communities simply because the participants were never afraid to share their thoughts and actions openly.
In this way, knowledge shared is power gained, and that is the only kind of power one really needs, because Good Guys don't play chess.
Just some thoughts.
-FL