Re: [chat] Re: [SLUG] Whats going on between Linudows and SCO?

[Matthew Palmer <mpalmer@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Thu, Aug 14, 2003 at 11:03:35AM +1000, Stuart Cooper wrote:

> This makes business sense (Jeff's point) and gets
> Lindows more market share in the short term as 
> companies looking at Linux think "oh well if we go
> with
> Lindows we'll still be OK". The story from yesterday's

Lindows is, however, unable to restrict the distribution of what it
distributes, under the terms of the GPL.  So all anyone has to do is
download a kernel from Lindows.com and they're safe.  Same thing with
downloading it from SCO's website, as I understand it.

By giving agreement to a Linux distribution, SCO has basically said even
further "we give this code away" - assuming there is any code of theirs in
there.  SCO can't say "lindows, you can distribute this, but nobody else
can" because all rights are given to all licencees.  All that has to happen
is somebody who gets a legitimate (in the eyes of SCO) copy copies the
contended source code back into the kernel, and it's away - because SCO has
licenced that code under the GPL (they must have, or they couldn't have
distributed the kernel).

Since SCO is still allowing free downloads from it's site (last time I
heard, anyway) there's no way to disprove that this hasn't already happened,
so the problem is solved.

Now, if SCO is alleging *patent* infringement, then that's a whole other
kettle of fish, but I've never heard patents mentioned anywhere.

This whole "make vague, unspecified demands and then demand money" thing has
given me an idea of my own.  Patents can be used to extort money out of
anyone who uses the patented idea, in theory.  So, simply send out a letter
all over the place saying "I hold a patent on some part of your PC.  Please
give me $10 for each computer you own or use or I'll sue you for patent
infringement".  You'd rake it in.  And it's basically no different to what
SCO's doing.

BTW, anyone who gets asked by their bosses about this, feel free to use my
analogy above.  I did for my boss - worked a charm.  <g>

- Matt