Thursday, March 04, 2004

SCO = Sue Companies Over nothing?

So SCO is suing AutoZone and DaimlerChrysler as its latest victims in its effort to extort money from Linux users because it can't seem to sell enough software to stay afloat.

My main beef with SCO is that they haven't been willing to identify specific code snippets that are infringing on their patents and intellectual property. I am sure that the main reason for this - given the open nature of Linux - is that programmers around the world will have patches in place within hours that will invalidate their claims. If that happens, they can't sue anyone and they've thrown out all of this money in legal terms. However, they will have to divulge something to fight AutoZone in court. Which means that I am not quite sure how long their tirade will last.

I hope that they fall flat on their faces and close up shop. A win, even a small one, is going to wreak havoc in the Linux and patent communities.

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