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13-Year-Old Linux Dispute Returns As SCO Files New Appeal (theinquirer.net)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from THE INQUIRER: Now-defunct Unix vendor, which claimed that Linux infringed its intellectual property and sought as much as $5 billion in compensation from IBM, has filed notice of yet another appeal in the 13-year-old dispute. The appeal comes after a ruling at the end of February when SCO's arguments claiming intellectual property ownership over parts of Unix were rejected by a U.S. district court. That judgment noted that SCO had minimal resources to defend counter-claims filed by IBM due to SCO's bankruptcy.
"It is ordered and adjudged that pursuant to the orders of the court entered on July 10, 2013, February 5, 2016, and February 8, 2016, judgement is entered in favor of the defendant and plaintiff's causes of action are dismissed with prejudice," stated the document. Now, though, SCO has filed yet again to appeal that judgement, although the precise grounds it is claiming haven't yet been disclosed.
Hmmm, actually not a true statement. I work for the US Courts and a surprising many of them are at least technically literate; of course there are some that are complete Luddites and have no business being on the bench in this day and age. Then there are some (thinking 2nd Circuit) who know a surprising amount about the technology and how to employ it in the courts. We have judges using the iPad to review filings, their dockets, orders, and pleadings while commuting to work. When you have life tenure on the bench sometime the only way to get them off the bench is on a stretcher or in a body bag. Posting anonymously because I work for the US Courts in the technology division; I have a 5 digit /. id but I want to keep my job.
The sleezy law firm representing SCO and Oracle contracted with SCO to represent them through all appeals for the up-front payment of $20M that SCO paid.
It hasn't really been about "them" getting anything for awhile now, is my perspective. There's a certain pile of cash and the lawyers want it and they'll get it (ahead of other creditors) by actively perusing lawsuit.
I just thought the pile ran out, but if that lawfirm filed again, clearly there's money somewhere they can grab.
This stopped being about anything but billable hours... years ago.
The first point here is to figure out the individuals behind this and who's sponsoring them. Then publish who they are and see if they still are interested in pursuing the matter.
If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker would destroy civilization.