SCO's Ethics In Wonderland

SCO's Ethics In Wonderland

by Pamela Jones
Groklaw

February 28 2004

SCO's new ethics policy page [ http://www.thescogroup.com/images/company/SCO_Code_of_Conduct_and_Ethics_Policy-Final.pdf ]:

"We have built our business based on excellence in our products and services: not only quality software product solutions, but quality employees and representatives who adhere to the very highest standards of honesty, ethics and fairness in our dealings with all of our business contacts."

Compliance, they say, is mandatory for all employees. Violations can lead to dismissal.

You have got to admit, this story never gets old. SCO is lacking utterly in self-awareness or irony, which makes covering their antics endlessly entertaining. This document, a PDF, is simply a howler. Stand in front of a mirror or in front of your friends and family and just try to read it out loud, seriously, without falling down laughing by the end. I dare you. Bet you can't make it through the first page. The Fair Dealing section alone will defeat you:

"Directors, officers and employees are required to deal honestly and fairly with our customers, suppliers, competitors and other third parties."

Say, third parties... would that include Fyodor? Why, yes. Yes, it would. How about Linus? Fairness to third parties is mandatory. Whew. What a relief. For a while there, I was in a panic, thinking SCO was going to turn out to be dishonest, mean, greedy and unfair. See that? That was before I found out they have a strict, mandatory ethics policy.

07:41 AM EST