mprobst@probst.org: [uug] You are all infringers. (the latest from SCO)

[Randal]

I saw an article on Mandrake's site ( I think it was a link to Linux Weekly 
News) about SCO's Lawsuit.  They interviewed one of the lawyers and he stated 
that if someone had purchased Caldera's Linux (whatever it is called now) 
they were safe from lawsuit's as they had aquired a license to use thier 
software.  I almost bought a copy and mailed it with they interview to IBM 
and thier legal team.  As others I have some old Caldera stuff and I even 
have SCO around here somewhere,  but they are trying to use AT&T's old 
lawsuit against BSD.

On Wednesday 14 May 2003 06:03 pm, you wrote:
> Sorry, I normally don't forward things, much less twice in one day, but
> this curdled my blood.  The following is courtesy of the idiots at SCO.
>
> ----- Forwarded message from "Matthew J. Probst" <mprobst at probst.org> -----
>
> Date: Wed, 14 May 2003 15:21:01 -0700 (MST)
> To: BYU Unix Users Group <uug-list at phantom.byu.edu>
> From: "Matthew J. Probst" <mprobst at probst.org>
> Reply-To: BYU Unix Users Group <uug-list at uug.byu.edu>
> List-Post: <mailto:uug-list at uug.byu.edu>
> Subject: [uug] You are all infringers. (the latest from SCO)
> Status: RO
>
>
> All you people running Linux are infriging on SCO's intellectual property
> rights.....  yes... not just the distributors but you, the end users:
>
> http://www.sco.com/scosource/letter_to_linux_customers.html
>
> snippets:
> "Many Linux contributors were originally UNIX developers who had access to
> UNIX source code distributed by AT&T and were subject to confidentiality
> agreements, including confidentiality of the methods and concepts involved
> in software design. We have evidence that portions of UNIX System V
> software code have been copied into Linux and that additional other
> portions of UNIX System V software code have been modified and copied into
> Linux, seemingly for the purposes of obfuscating their original source."
>
> "As a consequence of Linuxs unrestricted authoring process, it is not
> surprising that Linux distributors do not warrant the legal integrity of
> the Linux code provided to customers. Therefore legal liability that may
> arise from the Linux development process may also rest with the end user."
>
>
> "Similar to analogous efforts underway in the music industry, we are
> prepared to take all actions necessary to stop the ongoing violation of
> our intellectual property or other rights."
>
> "SCOs actions may prove unpopular with those who wish to advance or
> otherwise benefit from Linux as a free software system for use in
> enterprise applications. However, our property and contract rights are
> important and valuable; not only to us, but to every individual and every
> company whose livelihood depends on the continued viability of
> intellectual and intangible property rights in a digital age."
>
>
> ohh wait... I just violated their intellectual property by copying
> paragraphs from their web page...
>
> I'll go turn myself in for the requisite lashings.
>
> -matt
>
>
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> ----- End forwarded message -----