From email at kennethburgener.org  Tue Jun 17 12:13:50 2003
From: email at kennethburgener.org (Kenneth Burgener)
Date: Tue Jun 17 11:31:50 2003
Subject: [uug] SCO is attacking the open-source world
Message-ID: < 072001c334f3$d3a30780$76b5a8c0@ocs.openchannels.com>

>This just in:
>
>http://news.zdnet.co.uk/story/0,,t269-s2136185,00.html

Wow, I hadn't realized how serious these guys were.  SCO is not only
attacking IBM, but they are also attacking the fundamentals of the open
source world... "The suit also adds illegal export issues stemming from the
worldwide availability of open-source software".  If they win this, this
could have serious implications on how open source will work.

From art at infinitybox.net  Tue Jun 17 12:37:11 2003
From: art at infinitybox.net (Arthur Moore)
Date: Tue Jun 17 11:55:40 2003
Subject: [uug] SCO is attacking the open-source world
In-Reply-To: < 072001c334f3$d3a30780$76b5a8c0@ocs.openchannels.com>
References: < 072001c334f3$d3a30780$76b5a8c0@ocs.openchannels.com>
Message-ID: < 3EEF5FD7.1030209@infinitybox.net>


>Wow, I hadn't realized how serious these guys were.  SCO is not only
>attacking IBM, but they are also attacking the fundamentals of the open
>source world... "The suit also adds illegal export issues stemming from the
>worldwide availability of open-source software".  If they win this, this
>could have serious implications on how open source will work.
>  
>
I see this as a general attack against Linux and opensource/free 
software. If SCO can prove that indeed their IP was put into Linux, then 
it is possible that they could insist some sort of external IP 
regulation occurs with Linux. This of course takes away the freedom of 
Linux developers, and puts it directly into the hands of corporations. 
When everything must be OK'd by a series of coporations (and believe you 
me, Linux developers will have to pay for this process, I'm talking 
money.) then free and unrestricted coding can no longer take place. It 
will be too much of a hassle, and there will be too many lawsuits to 
make it worth it. So as I see it. IBM must win the suit, and follow with 
a counter-suit (well the counter-suit could be issued by anyone, the FSF 
or Linus himself) or else the very way of life, the way of coding will 
be threatened by the onslaught of lawsuits. One can no longer look at 
Richard Stallman's comments on Software Patents, Freedom to develop 
software, or the importance of a  free community, and  call  him too 
extreame. His established his views directly with this sort of a thing 
in mind.

You know it's sad that a company who once supported OpenSource/Free 
Software so fully, and made so many contributions to it, would so 
quickly turn it's back, raise it's head, and bite the community. Ransom 
Love where are you now?!

Art