OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

Now it gets dirty. It seems that no one but SCO knows what code they are suing over. I believe SCO has said they do not want to give away their case before court time and are keeping the offending code to themselves until then. So everybody is just guessing as to what exact intellectual property SCO is complaining about. So SOC could have just blown themselves out of the water by keeping secrets. At the end of the first link, look at the word extort, I think it should be exhort. A big difference between the two words, but the spell checker doesn't care.

Novell to Try to Shoot Down SCO IP Claims.

"We Intend to Aggressively Continue," SCO Responds to Novell

This is cutthroat: neat and clever and very, very vicious. I guess MS isn't worried about backlash: no one who might care is neutral. Anyone who might react to this sort of assault is already against MS. That's the way I see it anyway.

I had heard a few things about SCO and what it was doing, but I didn't know MS was involved. It will be interesting to see how this one plays out. Again, I might not care for their goals (I am opposed to them, even), but I can certainly respect this sort of maneuver.

Now, what are the courts going to do with it?

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

Sorry guys. Had a new source of info. But can't get the URL to work properly.

EDIT:

OK, I can't take you directly to the articles in question, but you can get to the main site at
eWeek

RE-EDIT:

A particularly interesting article is "SCO Deserves Public Scolding"

Another interesting article is on the University of Calgary's intention of giving a course on how to code viruses.

[ May 28, 2003, 22:17: Message edited by: tbontob ]

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

Ok, I haven't really heard much about this issue, only those two articles (eWeek article is refusing to load) and a CNN report about a week ago, but...

I fail to see exactly how Microsoft is involved in this. Does MS own SCO? Or am I missing something? The only way I see MS attached to this at all is that Linux/UNIX are it's largest competitors in the PC operating system market, which would imply only a very indirect involvement. Is that it?

--edit: Ok, got the actual article to load now. Before, the connection would time out any time I tried going beyond the eWeek homepage.

[ May 29, 2003, 04:23: Message edited by: Will ]

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

Microsoft has 'recognized' SCO's claims by buying a license, just in time to finance the lawsuit(s) with payments. And has expressed support for their position publicly.

[ May 29, 2003, 01:45: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Will. I did have some problems posting the URL to e-week when I creatd the post. I tested it some hours ago and it worked and tested it again just now.

Are you still having problems with it?

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

As i understand, SCO is whining about code in Linux distro's that would be there intellectual property. So if this goes through that would be great for MS because Linux is gaining on MS specially in the server market.
SCO are a bunch of idiots. I hope they lose their case.

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

Heres a rumor for you (of the best kind, I can't substantiate any of it http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif ) -- SCO used to sell a unix called xenix? or maybe zenix. The rumor is that Bill Gates/MS orginally gave it to them, or at least provided heavy support. Many people consider SCO to be MS's proxy into the unix world.

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">The company that is called SCO today is not the company that partnered with MS to develop Xenix. The current SCO is actually Caldera Linux... Yes, a company that was founded as a Linux company. The original SCO that developed Xenix with MS sold off its Unix 'IP' to Caldera Linux and changed its name to Tarantella, going into some sort of networking/enterprise niche. Caldera-SCO then bought a bunch of licenses from Novell for various things related to Unix, because Novell had bought almost all the rights to Unix from AT&T some years ago, but the actual rights remained with Novell. All they had were licenses to develop their own stuff using Novell's code. Novell said as much in a press release on the day of SCO's Shareholders meeting. (That sure rained on the parade. Caldera-SCO lost 25 percent of it's stock value that day, while the shareholders were meeting and grilling the management! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif ) That's right, pseudo-SCO does not have the legal standing to make these claims and has publicly admitted it since Novell announced the real nature of the license agreement between them. Even funnier, Novell said that SCO obviously understood this because they had been pressing Novell to sell the actual copyights/patents. Novell refused, of course. And yet they still say they're gonna sue IBM (for breach of contract now rather than patent/copyright violation it seems) and have actually made noises about suing Linus personally for some sort of 'infringement' of the rights they don't own.

Meanwhile Novell is making noises about counter-suits, MS has publicy announced that it has 'licensed' SCO's 'Intellectual Property' and will be giving them lots of bucks (useful for paying the lawyers of course), and a German company is threatening to sue SCO in Germany based on German anti-trust law that bars using threats of lawsuits to get unfair competitive advantage. The exact claim that SCO thinks it has is still a secret, of course. If the programmers were told what SCO thinks it owns they could probably rip it out and rewrite a substitute in a matter of hours or days. But that's the point, and the reason for the lawsuit in Germany, this is about FUD, not business. If people are afraid that Linux might be sunk by lawsuits they won't want to use it, and MS might be able to recover the 1/3rd of server market-share that Linux has taken from them. Maybe the German lawsuit will be able to force Caldera-SCO to disclose what they think they own in the Linux source so it can be replaced. And maybe, just maybe, the legal process will uncover the slimy machinations of William H. Gates III before all is said and done.

Is your head spinning yet?

[ May 30, 2003, 00:25: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Yes... Yes it is http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

And how can anyone sue Linus Torvald? Unless he cracked existing licensed software, or stole patented information, no one can touch him seeing as how the Linux code is distributed freely. Sueing the individual companies that sell Linux in retail stores (Red Hat, Mandrake, etc) would make more sense.

Does Linus make any money from the companies that do sell Linux in retail chains?

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Baron you rock. That is, of course, unless you are simply living up to your name and pulling our legs.

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

Yeah, thanks Baron for clearing that up!

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

Heh...

'Thanks for explaining it' might be more appropriate. It's total lack of clarity is the primary characteristic of the situation. You can follow this and other technical stories in detail on www.slashdot.org btw. This is a much better place to learn what is going on than most of the IT industry 'news' sites. Once they post a story lots of people with real knowledge and experience can comment and add to the available information, without being filtered by some corporate 'news policy' (censorship).

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

This is extremely comprehensive.

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">We all must remind ourselves that MS also believes that it owns Binary. Or for that matter any original idea that should ever happend to be invented, software wise, is already owned by MS. "How dare they invent something that we never thought of using a revolutionary programming language never conceived of before! We own the unconcieved ideas of all program and software developers for all time." - CEO Microsaft.

[ June 02, 2003, 21:27: Message edited by: Atrocities ]

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

By Brad Rhodes, with inspiration from Lincoln Spector's "The Pirates of Pentium" and apologies to Sir William Gilbert...)

Bill Gates:

I am the very model of a Microsoft Executive
Work sixteen hours ev'ry shift on days that are consecutive
I make a line of software that is of the highest quality
But leave in bugs to fix in upgrades in perpetuality

Though some might claim that we compete in ways that are not very just
That's just vindictive rumor spun by folks who can't compete with us
Besides they cannot prove a thing, no judge will ever take their side
We'll crush them with our lawyers known for litigation far and wide.

Men's Chourus:
He'll crush them with his lawyers known for litigation far and far and wide!

Gates:
My coders work a schedule bordering on impropriety
But they'll still work for peanuts til they're vested in entirety
I'm sure that you will all agree that this is all inde-cu-tive
That I'm the very model of a Microsoft Executive!

Chorus:
I'm sure that you will all agree that this is all inde-cu-tive
He is the very model of a Microsoft Executive!

Gates:
We made our windows system one which we hold in propriety
And tweak it every now and then to screw up Lotus 1-2-3
Developing for Windows makes our competition often frown
They haven't any choice -- our system is the only game in town.

We'll use people's inventions that will make our software sell the best
Idea is the first step but the market is the real test
And though we may use other's thoughts and intellectual property
Stealing's such a nasty word, we like to call it R&D.

Chorus:
Stealing's such a nasty word, he likes to call it R&-R&D.

Gates [faster]:
My business tactics are compared with Henry Ford and Genghis Kahn
They built me up from nerdy kid to billionaire and then beyond
And while my competition spews out words full of invec-u-tive
I am the very model of a Microsoft Executive!

Chorus:
And while his competition spews out words full of invec-u-tive
He is the very model of a Microsoft Executive!

*** Source: the Gilbert and Sullivan parody archive.

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

8/8 -- IBM counter-sues SCO...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">These are just excerpts. IBM has also cited multiple patents from its own 'IP' arsenal that it claims SCO is violating, and pointed out that SCO is violating the very GPL which is supposedly the basis of its own business.

Lesson of the week: Don't piss-off IBM.

[ August 09, 2003, 23:50: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

SCO is a flop as a software company. But they did buy the original UNIX code. What they actually own is in doubt, is it the code, or the code along with the intellectual rights and the licensing rights? This will have to be resolved, but the US courts have always found in favor of the owners of the code in cases like this. The court has always seen the code as being the same as the intellectual rights. If SCO owns the original UNIX code, then we move to round two.

If SCO is correct, and Linux has SCO owned UNIX code in the kernel, then they will be entitled to receive compensation. Only a few Linux shops have the bucks to pay out damages, IBM being one of them. But end Users could be required to license their copies, or cease and desist from using Linux. If LT wrote the SCO code into Linux, he will have a big problem. He could already have a legal problem that will cost him a ton of money, just because he will need representation when this gets to court.

The guys at SCO have already made bucks from this, as did a bunch of people that bought in a <$2 a share http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif , but what is at stake is much larger. If SCO wins or IBM just settles, then Linux will be dead as free ware. If IBM buys a license to use the code, then they will pass it on to their end Users. Red Hat and the other boxers would be in a bad way if IBM settled. There is enough Linux code out there to keep it going, but development will slow to a crawl as the big shops fold or move on to new code.

If SCO wins, then MS buys them out; well it will be Katie bar the door time. MS will have Windows and UNIX. And Linux will be dead in the water. The rumor is that MS would like to use UNIX in the next generation server code, but will not do so unless they can own it outright. And that it was MS that found the UNIX code in Linux. This thing will take years to work its way through the system, but it has the potential to be the largest software battle to date.

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

As of right now, they only claim Linux kernel 1.2.4.18 and later have the infringing code. It's not quite such a big deal to go back and revise some recent additions to the Linux kernel even if SCO should win. But as their behavior so far shows -- noted by IBM in its counter-suit -- they seem to be interested in making legal maneuvering their new business model. The problem is not that some code has been added to Linux that doesn't belong. They could have complained directly to Linus without having to file any lawsuits. He would have very quickly had the code replaced. But that's not what SCO wanted. The problem is that a major contributing Linux software company has changed management and decided to make its living by litigation.

For this reason alone IBM will certainly not settle. If they settle it opens the door to god-knows-how-many new litigation franchise operations trying some new trick on IBM in hopes of getting some cash in a 'settlement'. SCO's legal claims are very weak anyway, with the GPL itself being the final hurdle they would have to over-come in order to prevail against IBM. They have been distributing the very code they claim is 'infringing' in the current Linux kernel for the whole time they have been making all these noises, effectively voiding their own copyright/patent (whichever they claim that it is covered by). And since contemporary litigation is really more of a test of financial strength/endurance than a test of validity of legal argument, it seems very unlikely that SCO can prevail with its weak position.

[ August 09, 2003, 23:39: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

Thanks for the update Baron.

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Well, you have to make a distinction here. Linux is the kernel not the operation system. And they are pretty sure that previous Versions of the kernel would be "legal" in that case so the overall impact on the linux kernel would be small. Besides, there is a GNU kernel being made also named the Hurd. Or you could go with FreeBSD, NetBSD and so on.
But it's fun to see what scumbags M$ are by "buying" a license of SCO. Instead of improving their own product to compete with linux they try to battle it out via other means.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Not true at all. If the kernel developers remove the code and replace it, the problem is solved ( if there is a problem which remains to be seen).

[ August 10, 2003, 15:10: Message edited by: minipol ]

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

You are missing the point entirely! Open source does not generate enough income to insure their products, let alone defend them in court. And if SCO wins, they will have the resources to take a very close look at Linux code along with the other Xnix systems out there. There is a lot of pure UNIX code in most Nix operating systems. To have to go back and clean it all up or face long court battles will take cash. Cash that the Open Source community does not generate. To defend them will take cash. Cash that they do not have. This action is a predatory stroke of legal genius. And at its roots are the very fundamentals of capitalism. This is capitalistic big business/wealthy people, against socialistic give it out for free small business/poor people.

Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to see you Linux guys loose your OS of choice. But I also do strongly support the basic principals of capitalism as they exist today. For me personally, this will be of great interest to watch unfold. It will set the stage for the software of the next decade. And it is following the trend of past court battles, allowing for some coins to be made in the short term.

Also, I was of the (wrong) opinion that UNIX was old and dieing as the older systems were replaced with new iron. We personally have an old AS300 about to go out the door, which will be the end of UNIX for us. But I was researching the people with claims to things that are UNIX and I found that a place caller the Open Group owns the UNIX trade mark. When I took a look at their site, I found a time line that shows UNIX is continuing to evolve. And show or perhaps imply a close connection to the Linux/BSD communities.

Quote from the Open Group:

1969 The Beginning The history of UNIX starts back in 1969, when Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie and others started working on the "little-used PDP-7 in a corner" at Bell Labs and what was to become UNIX.

1971 First Edition It had a assembler for a PDP-11/20, file system, fork(), roff and ed. It was used for text processing of patent documents.

1973 Fourth Edition It was rewritten in C. This made it portable and changed the history of OS's.

1975 Sixth Edition UNIX leaves home. Also widely known as Version 6, this is the first to be widely available out side of Bell Labs. The first BSD Version (1.x) was derived from V6.

1979 Seventh Edition It was a "improvement over all preceding and following Unices" [Bourne]. It had C, UUCP and the Bourne shell. It was ported to the VAX and the kernel was more than 40 Kilobytes (K).

1980 Xenix Microsoft introduces Xenix. 32V and 4BSD introduced.

1982 System III AT&T's UNIX System Group (USG) release System III, the first public release outside Bell Laboratories.

1983 System V Computer Research Group (CRG), UNIX System Group (USG) and a third group merge to become UNIX System Development Lab. AT&T announces UNIX System V, the first supported release.

1984 4.2BSD University of California at Berkeley releases 4.2BSD, includes TCP/IP, new signals and much more.

1984 SVR2 System V Release 2 introduced. At this time there are 100,000 UNIX installations around the world.

1986 4.3BSD 4.3BSD released, including internet name server

1987 SVR3 System V Release 3 including STREAMS, TLI, RFS. At this time there are 750,000 UNIX installations around the world.

1988 POSIX.1 published. Open Software Foundation (OSF) and UNIX International (UI) formed.

1989 AT&T UNIX Software Operation formed in preparation for spinoff of USL.

1989 SVR4 UNIX System V Release 4 ships, unifying System V, BSD and Xenix

1990 XPG3 X/Open launches XPG3 Brand

1991 UNIX System Laboratories (USL) becomes a company - majority-owned by AT&T. Linus Torvalds commences Linux development

1992 SVR4.2 USL releases UNIX System V Release 4.2 (Destiny). October - XPG4 Brand launched by X/Open. December 22nd Novell announces intent to acquire USL.

1993 4.4BSD 4.4BSD the final release from Berkeley. June 16 Novell acquires USL

Late 1993 SVR4.2MP Novell transfers rights to the "UNIX" trademark and the Single UNIX Specification to X/Open. In December Novell ships SVR4.2MP , the final USL OEM release of System V

1994 4.4-Lite BSD 4.4-Lite eliminated all code claimed to infringe on USL/Novell

1995 UNIX 95 X/Open introduces the UNIX 95 branding programme. Novell sells UnixWare business to SCO.

1996 The Open Group forms as a merger of OSF and X/Open.

1997 Single UNIX Specification, Version 2 The Open Group introduces Version 2 of the Single UNIX Specification, including support for realtime, threads and 64-bit and larger processors. The specification is made freely available on the web.

1998 UNIX 98 The Open Group introduces the UNIX 98 family of brands, including Base, Workstation and Server. First UNIX 98 registered products shipped by Sun, IBM and NCR. The Open Source movement starts to take off with announcements from Netscape and IBM

1999 UNIX at 30 The UNIX system reaches its 30th anniversary. Linux 2.2 kernel released. The Open Group and the IEEE commence joint development of a revision to POSIX and the Single UNIX Specification. First LinuxWorld conferences. Several Open Source companies launch successfully on the stock markets.

2001 Version 3 of the Single UNIX Specification Version 3 of the Single UNIX Specification unites IEEE POSIX, The Open Group and the industry efforts. Linux 2.4 kernel released. IT stocks face a hard time at the markets.

2002 ISO/IEC 9945:2002 The core volumes of Version 3 of the Single UNIX Specification are approved as an international standard.

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

Thermodyne writes:
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Erm, um -- Thermodyne...

Does Internation Business Machines, Inc. strike you as a 'small business'? Or a 'socialistic' organization? Or lacking in money? They are probably second only to MS itself in sheer cash reserves, and have a very formidable legal department.

Also, if this 'Open Source' thing can't work, why is this archetypal corporation, the epitome of capitalism which has prided itself on being 'the most profitable corporation in the world' since early in the previous century, supporting it?

Maybe they have recognized that the Operating System is destined to be a 'public domain' resource in the future of computing? If the anti-trust suit against MS had been correctly completed they would concluded that you could not have a 'level playing field' with one of the competitors holding private control of the whole field, and would have ruled that Windows source be released to some sort of public consortium for further development in the public interest.

This is essentially what happened in the breakup of AT&T and in the current movement to break up the power generation monopolies. In both cases the infrastructure previously considered 'private' property -- the phone lines/switches and power lines/switches respectively, have been appropriated by the 'evil socialist state' and made into collective property. Now anyone who wishes to may start a phone company and the others must allow them to connect to the system of phone lines. And also in many states (and soon in many more) anyone can build power generation equipment and they must be allowed to connect to the system of power lines and sell their power.

The analogy to computer software is clear. In order for competition to be fair, the OS must be a public access system that anyone can 'connect to' and use fully. A closed source OS does not allow this, as everyone who has been following Microsoft's API trickery knows quite well. They have always had a 'secret' API just for their own programs, and they have also always changed their OS to deliberately break other companies programs, from DOS 1.0/1.1 and Lotus 123 to Windows 3.10/3.11 and DR-DOS to Windows 95/98 and Netscape Navigator.

IBM has simply recognized the truth of the need for the OS to be a 'public access' system, and is trying to foster a new model of OS management (and the OS that developed with it) that can accomodate these needs. SCO on the other hand is acting as a cat's paw for Bill Gates and literally running their company into the ground (yes, this legal confrontation will destroy them) just to throw mud on the Open Source movement and scare people away from it. It's the corporate equivalent of suicide bombing. They must destroy themselves in order to damage the infidel and will be rewarded in 'heaven' afterwards. I would bet good money that all the major players at SCO will be working for MS or one of its subsidiaries within 6-12 months after they close the doors on SCO.

[ August 10, 2003, 21:41: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

From the IBM employee web site;
IBM Launches counter claims against SCO



Earlier this year, The SCO Group filed a lawsuit claiming that IBM improperly contributed SCO intellectual property to Linux. Since the original filing, SCO has amended its complaint. And, on August 6, IBM responded to SCO's amended complaint and filed a counter-suit on a range of issues.

IBM continues to vigorously defend itself against SCO's allegations. The company sees no merit in SCO's claims, and no supporting facts. Simply put, SCO's scheme is an attempt to profit from its limited rights to a very old UNIX operating system by introducing fear, uncertainty and doubt into the marketplace.

IBM counterclaims are detailed in the legal filing, but the key points are: • SCO has violated the GNU General Public License, under which it accepted Linux contributions and distributed Linux.
• SCO has improperly claimed the right to revoke IBM's UNIX license, despite the fact that IBM's contract expressly provides that IBM's rights are irrevocable and that Novell, which is a party to the agreement under which IBM obtained an irrevocable and perpetual UNIX license, agrees that SCO cannot terminate IBM's license and has exercised its right to waive this claim.
• SCO has directly infringed four IBM patents relating to SCO's commercially available UnixWare, Open Server, SCO Manager and Reliant HA clustering software products.

IBM is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, as well as an injunction requiring SCO to refrain from misrepresenting its rights and to cease further infringement of IBM's patents.

As IBM continues to defend itself, the rest of the industry appears to have similar resolve with regard to Linux. There is an informative analysis of the SCO complaint available on the Open Source Development Lab Website entitled, "Questioning SCO: A Hard Look at Nebulous Claims," by Eben Moglen, General counsel of the Free Software Foundation. It puts the SCO claims in the proper perspective for Linux Users. There is also additional information about the lawsuit on IBM's SCO Complaint page.

Linux continues to gain momentum. IBM has never had a LinuxWorld more overflowing with innovation, offerings and news (see SuSE and IBM achieve government certification for Linux). IBM will continue to drive both AIX and Linux. And, IBM is as committed as ever to meeting customers' needs.

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">The cynic might suggest that IBM has no particular passion or belief in the open source model, but is simply using it as a weapon in their never-ending clash of the titans war against MS. Very shewd actually. If IBM is able to sucesfully define their image as a "populist company" they could reap substatial benefits for decades.

Geoschmo

[ August 11, 2003, 14:00: Message edited by: geoschmo ]

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

This is the public stage of the action, everyone is talking a lot. Would you trust IBM with the future of Linux? I wouldn’t. They have a long track record of entering action with guns blazing, only to settle very early in the fight. They are not much for taking risks, and are in the position of gaining a lucrative position if they settle on terms that favor them. It all still hinges on what SCO actually owns, and we will have to wait to find out what the court ultimately decides.

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Large but with a poor track record and very much under the thumb of the board

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Well, now we know your position. OS can work, but there has to be profit somewhere. As to the action against MS, you are entitled to your opinion.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I wouldn’t use telecom or energy as support for your case. Because of what was done with them, both are in crisis right now. And billions have been lost by investors. Down time for all wired service is at levels not seen since the 60’s. And energy no longer is a sure thing if you live in a state that regulates prices.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Dream on. Not gonna happen. I agree that all should have equal ability to write apps, but the law does not offer this guarantee.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">IBM recognized the need to compete in the low end server market, and Linux knocks a bunch off the cost of a configured server. IBM has a lot of strain on it bottom line right now, server sales are flat, and the cash cow has gone discount. Their notebook margins have plummeted in the Last year. They are laying out heavily on AMD server products, which are still a long way from even thinking about turning a profit. They do not need a big court fight right now.
Also, I have noticed that while IBM passes out Linux code, they sit on OSx real tight. Why haven’t they published it to OpenS?

Now before this gets out of hand, let me say that I have no stake as to who wins. While I do make my living supporting MS servers and clients, I hold no great love for the company. Nor do I hate them, they actually treat me quite well. I get tons of cheap software from them, and more support than I have the time to use. I respect the fact that they have been an aggressive company in a time of wishy washy take no risk board run businesses. I also respect the efforts and results of the people that have worked on Linux. They have come a long way. But I will give them no special consideration because they are small and basically nonprofit. If they used code that belongs to SCO, then them that can pay will have to do so. If not, then they stand to gain a lot of prestige and exposure. It will be an interesting fight, and there will be many opportunities for the small investor to get a little for himself.

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

Well, I have no idea if Bill Gates/Microsoft is in bed with SCO, but if they are working behind the scences to off Linix and all its accomplishments, then maybe this Judge is right and that Bill Gates really is "the evil prick son of a ***** who runs it [Microsoft]"! I mean, from what I have heard from freinds that Linix and even Lindows is a great system. Maybe Bill Gates should concentrate on making Windows a better OS (ie. less bugs/more compatiability) and not try to cut peopls throats all the time. Heck, isn't that one of the principles of what my country (the United States) was built on... competition?

Jeez, did Bill Gates as a kid in school get picked on or something? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif I'm no psychologist but it feels like a very similar childhood to how Adolf Hitler's youth was like... always rejected.

[ August 13, 2003, 06:58: Message edited by: Magnum357 ]

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

SCO says "words, words, words"

Following a brief intermission, we will hear a rebuttal

[ August 26, 2003, 16:29: Message edited by: Loser ]

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

All of this is just window dressing for the side show. If SCO makes a few bucks along the way, then they go off extra happy. But in the end, a preliminary ruling will be the main event as far as BG is concerned. From what I have seen, SCO has a case if they own the UNIX code in question. There are a lot of details to work out as far as the limits of existing licenses and such, but the Linux community will have a few problems to work out because of the longstanding use of existing code by contributors. But in the end, what UNIX code SCO owns will be more or less set in stone. Then look for them to sell said rights, paving the way for the next incarnation out of the North West. Can you say Windows Server UE? (UNIX Edition)

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

The Smoking Gun!

http://radio.weblogs.com/0120124/2003/08/29.html

SCO has friends in corporate places. Friends married to Bill Gates.

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

Great stuff from Bash.org. Some content from this site may not be safe for work. It is extraordinarily vulgar, as you might expect from IRC.

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;">Topic in #os: hey guyz, stop pickin on irix.
&lt;SCO&gt; w00t! i bought unix! im gonna b so rich!
&lt;novell&gt; /msg atnt haha. idiot.
&lt;novell&gt; whoops. was that out loud?
&lt;atnt&gt; rotfl
&lt;ibm&gt; lol
&lt;SCO&gt; why r u laffin at me?
&lt;novell&gt; dude, unix is so 10 years ago. linux is in now.
&lt;SCO&gt; wtf?
&lt;SCO&gt; hey guyz, i bought caldera, I have linux now.
&lt;red_hat&gt; haha, your linux sucks.
&lt;novell&gt; lol
&lt;atnt&gt; lol
&lt;ibm&gt; lol
&lt;SCO&gt; no wayz, i will sell more linux than u!
&lt;ibm&gt; your linux sucks, you should look at SuSE
&lt;SuSE&gt; Ja. Wir bilden gutes Linux für IBM.
&lt;SCO&gt; can we do linux with you?
&lt;SuSE&gt; Ich bin nicht sicher...
&lt;ibm&gt; *cough*
&lt;SuSE&gt; Gut lassen Sie uns vereinigen.
* SuSE is now SuSE[UL]
* SCO is now caldera[UL]
&lt;turbolinux&gt; can we play?
&lt;conectiva&gt; we're bored... we'll go too.
&lt;ibm&gt; sure!
* turbolinux is now turbolinux[UL]
* conectiva is now conectiva[UL]
&lt;ibm&gt; redhat: you should join!
&lt;SuSE[UL]&gt; Ja! Wir sind vereinigtes Linux. Widerstand ist vergeblich.
&lt;red_hat&gt; haha. no.
&lt;red_hat&gt; lamers.
&lt;ibm&gt; what about you debian?
&lt;debian&gt; we'll discuss it and let you know in 5 years.
&lt;caldera[UL]&gt; no one wants my linux!
&lt;turbolinux[UL]&gt; i got owned.
&lt;caldera[UL]&gt; u all tricked me. linux is lame.
* caldera[UL] is now known as SCO
&lt;SCO&gt; i'm going back to unix.
&lt;SGI&gt; yeah! want to do unix with me?
&lt;SCO&gt; haha. no. lamer.
&lt;novell&gt; lol
&lt;ibm&gt; snap!
&lt;SGI&gt; :~(
&lt;SCO&gt; hey, u shut up. im gonna sue u ibm.
&lt;ibm&gt; wtf?
&lt;SCO&gt; yea, you stole all the good stuff from unix.
&lt;red_hat&gt; lol
&lt;SuSE[UL]&gt; heraus laut lachen
&lt;ibm&gt; lol
&lt;SCO&gt; shutup. i'm gonna email all your friends and tell them you suck.
&lt;ibm&gt; go ahead. baby.
&lt;SCO&gt; andandand... i revoke your unix! how do you like that?
&lt;ibm&gt; oh no, you didn't. AIX is forever.
&lt;novell&gt; actually, we still own unix, you can't do that.
&lt;SCO&gt; wtf? we bought it from u.
&lt;novell&gt; whoops. our bad.
&lt;SCO&gt; i own u. haha
&lt;SCO&gt; ibm: give me all your AIX now!
&lt;ibm&gt; whatever. lamer.
* ibm sets mode +b SCO!*@*
* SCO has been kicked from #os (own this.)</pre><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

New one.
http://www.linuxstolescocode.com/
Well, new to me, anyway.

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

<kow`> "There are 10 types of people in the world... those who understand binary and those who don't."
<SpaceRain> That's only 2 types of people, kow.
<SpaceRain> STUPID

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">funny. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

Thanks for this wonderful thread people..

Now my head hurts, I'm confused, I feel stupid for failing to comprehend and I'm not a Linux user.

Oh well, I'll just take two asprin and post in the morning. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Cheers! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

I thought everyone knew that Microsoft invented Binary and Bill Gates owns the rights to it. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif

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Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

Of course, we have to have a Lord of the Rings reference:


Bill Gates and the CD of Power

Recently one of my friends, a computer wizard, paid me a visit. I mentioned that I had recently installed Windows on my PC, told him how happy I was with this operating system and showed him the Windows CD. To my astonishment and distress he threw it into my micro-wave oven and turned it on.

I was upset because the CD had become precious to me, but he said "Do not worry, it is unharmed." After a few minutes he took the CD out, gave it to me and said "Take a close look at it."

To my surprise the CD was quite cold and it seemed to have become thicker and heavier than before. At first I could not see anything, but on the inner edge of the central hole I saw an inscription, in lines finer than anything I have ever seen before. The inscription shone piercingly bright, and yet remote, as if out of a great depth.

4F6E65204F5320746F2072756C65207468656D20616C6C2C20 4F6E65204F5320746F
2066696E64207468656D2C0D0A4F6E65204F5320746F206272 696E67207468656D20
616C6C20616E6420696E20746865206461726B6E6573732062 696E64207468656D

"I cannot read the fiery letters," I said. "No," he said, "but I can. The letters are Hex, of an ancient mode, but the language is that of Microsoft, which I shall not utter here. But in common English this is what it says"

"One OS to rule them all, One OS to find them
One OS to bring them all and in the darkness bind them."

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

and now you must throw it into the fiery, molten dataworks at the core of microsoft, where it was forged and the only place where it can be destroyed.

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif


<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

in the darkness bind them

They send me about 10 CD's a month, can I keep using them till I need glasses?


<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

huh?

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

This is great. Would the Hobbits be penguins then? We could run with this one. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

yep. and Gandolph would be the bearer of the open-source license.

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Stallman?
http://www.stallman.org/power-tie.jpg

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

while he may be right on some, most or even all accounts, he is also biased.

no, i didn't read the whole site. i didn't have to.

[ February 09, 2004, 23:10: Message edited by: narf poit chez BOOM ]

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

I was fortunate enough to see him speak at a Linux convention under just the right circumstances.

IGN (I think) was giving the Free Software Foundation an award that came with some amount of money. They called it the Linus Torvald Award for Such-And-Such. Stallman got up there and started going off. The most memorable line was "This is like giving the Han Solo Award to the Rebel Fleet."

The poor 'spokes model' type up on stage holding the gigantic check got to looking a little worried, behind her carefully crafted pLastic smile, of course. After a little while, she started to lower the check. But then Stallman would sound like he was wrapping up, and she'd pull it back up. But they he wouldn't stop, and the check would slowly start lowering again.

I think I have the whole thing on tape somewhere. I'll have to dig it up and watch it again.

I think it was LinuxWorld '99 (which would explain IGN).

Re: OT: Cutthroat Microsoft Tactic
 

true, but we have him as gandolph, next thing you know, bush is sauron, blair is saramon and the whole thing is political.

when i entered his site, the major impression was his political views, not his monetary or anti-corporate views.