MESSAGE
| DATE | 2003-05-19 |
| FROM | Ruben Safir Secretary NYLXS
|
| SUBJECT | Re: [hangout] Microsoft to license Unix code
|
Is this setting up Microsft to back SCO in it's lawsuite?
Ruben
On Mon, May 19, 2003 at 10:27:27AM -0400, David Sugar wrote:
>
> Consider this...Microsoft cannot buy SCO, after all, there were some specific
> issues that forced them to sell it and xenix off in the first place. They
> certainly cannot appear to "pay" SCO directly to launch or sustain its
> lawsuit. While certainly they did not seem to feel obligated to license from
> SCO before, what if they suddenly decide to "license" from SCO, and likely at
> an inflated price? On the surface that avoids at least the direct legal
> liability and anti-trust aspects of "paying" SCO or it's employees to do
> things against GNU/Linux. I would be curious about what they are "licensing"
> exactly, and at what cost, and why they did not license these things before.
>
> On Monday 19 May 2003 08:38 am, Inker, Evan wrote:
> > OK, I've seen it all Now. Someone just cover me over with dirt.......
> >
> > Excerpt "Late Sunday, Microsoft general counsel Brad Smith said acquiring
> > the license from SCO "is representative of Microsoft's ongoing commitment
> > to respecting intellectual property and the IT community's healthy exchange
> > of IP through licensing. This helps to ensure IP compliance across
> > Microsoft solutions and supports our efforts around existing products like
> > services for Unix that further Unix interoperability."
> >
> > When did MS ever care about IP rights? They have been bastardizing software
> > from VMS, OS/2, BSD, and Unix Camps for years!
> >
> > Microsoft to license Unix code
> > By Scott Ard > > Unix code>
> > Staff Writer, CNET News.com
> > May 18, 2003, 10:45 PM PT
> >
> > Microsoft will license the rights to Unix technology from SCO Group, a move
> > that could impact the battle between Windows and Linux in the market for
> > computer operating systems.
> > According to a statement from Microsoft, the company will license SCO's
> > Unix patents and the source code. That code is at the heart of a $1 billion
> > lawsuit between SCO and IBM , which is
> > aggressively pushing Linux as an alternative to Windows in corporate back
> > shops.
> >
> > Microsoft's Windows has a monopoly in the market for desktop operating
> > systems, with a market share greater than 90 percent. Linux, which has been
> > developed by thousands of contributors and can be freely obtained, has
> > caught on as a worthy competitor in the market for corporate servers. In
> > the past two years, Microsoft has repeatedly labeled Linux as a threat to
> > the Redmond, Wash.-based computing giant, partly because of its low cost.
> >
> > Late Sunday, Microsoft general counsel Brad Smith said acquiring the
> > license from SCO "is representative of Microsoft's ongoing commitment to
> > respecting intellectual property and the IT community's healthy exchange of
> > IP through licensing. This helps to ensure IP compliance across Microsoft
> > solutions and supports our efforts around existing products like services
> > for Unix that further Unix interoperability."
> >
> > Unix was invented more than 30 years ago by AT&T's Unix Systems
> > Laboratories. In many ways Linux works similarly to Unix, making it
> > relatively easy to translate Unix software to Linux.
> >
> > AT&T sold the Unix intellectual property to Novell Networks, which in turn
> > sold it to the Santa Cruz Operation. Caldera International, a seller of
> > Linux, then acquired from SCO the Unix rights and two SCO products,
> > OpenServer and UnixWare. Then last year, Caldera changed its name to SCO
> > Group to reflect the fact that most of its revenue came from its SCO
> > business and not from the Linux products.
> >
> > But SCO has recently alleged that parts of the Unix source code have been
> > copied into Linux , and it is seeking fees
> > from Linux users. In March, SCO sued IBM for $1 billion, alleging that Big
> > Blue had used SCO's Unix code in Linux. IBM, along with Hewlett-Packard,
> > has been a major backer of Linux. Last week, SCO escalated the battle by
> > sending hundreds of letters to large corporations
> > warning them that their use of Linux could
> > infringe on SCO's intellectual property.
> > SCO's letter stated, in part, "We believe that Linux infringes on our Unix
> > intellectual property and other rights. We intend to aggressively protect
> > and enforce these rights. Legal liability that may arise from the Linux
> > development process may also rest with the end user."
> >
> > Some analysts said the move was an attempt by SCO to be acquired by another
> > company--possibly Microsoft, IBM or another firm with a stake in the
> > matter. "I guess suing IBM wasn't enough to get them acquired, so (the
> > letters are) the next stage," Illuminata analyst Gordon Haff said.
> >
> > Microsoft's public disdain of Linux stretches back more than two years.
> >
> > In March 2001, Microsoft Senior Vice President Craig Mundie said releasing
> > source code into the public domain is
> > "unhealthy," causes security risks and "as history has shown, while this
> > type of model may have a place, it isn't successful in building a mass
> > market and making powerful, easy-to-use software broadly accessible to
> > consumers."
> >
> > A few months later, in an interview with CNET News.com, Microsoft Chairman
> > Bill Gates sought to warn corporate users
> > about the GNU General Public License
> > , which Linux is distributed under. "Some of our source codes are out there
> > and very available, like Windows CE," Gates said. "Some generally require a
> > license, like Windows itself. We have no objection to free software, which
> > has been around forever. But we do think there are problems for commercial
> > users relative to the GPL, and we are just making sure people understand
> > the GPL.
> >
> > "Unfortunately, that has been misconstrued in many ways. It's a topic that
> > you can leap on and say, 'Microsoft doesn't make free software.' Hey, we
> > have free software; the world will always have free software. I mean, if
> > you characterize it that way, that's not right. But if you say to people,
> > 'Do you understand the GPL?' And they'll say, 'Huh?' And they're pretty
> > stunned when the Pac-Man-like nature of it is described to them."
> >
> > The next stage in the fight between SCO and IBM could occur next month--SCO
> > has threatened to revoke IBM's Unix license on June 13.
> > News.com's Michael Kanellos contributed to this report.
> >
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > Evan
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ***************************************************************************
> >* This message contains confidential information and is intended only for
> > the individual or entity named. If you are not the named addressee you
> > should not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail.
> > Please notify the sender immediately by e-mail if you have received
> > this e-mail by mistake and delete this e-mail from your system.
> > E-mail transmission cannot be guaranteed to be secure or error-free
> > as information could be intercepted, corrupted, lost, destroyed, arrive
> > late or incomplete, or contain viruses. The sender therefore does not
> > accept liability for any errors or omissions in the contents of this
> > message which arise as a result of e-mail transmission.
> > If verification is required please request a hard-copy version.
> > This message is provided for informational purposes and should not
> > be construed as an invitation or offer to buy or sell any securities or
> > related financial instruments.
> > GAM operates in many jurisdictions and is
> > regulated or licensed in those jurisdictions as required.
> > ***************************************************************************
> >*
> >
> > ____________________________
> > NYLXS: New Yorker Free Software Users Scene
> > Fair Use -
> > because it's either fair use or useless....
> > NYLXS is a trademark of NYLXS, Inc
>
> ____________________________
> NYLXS: New Yorker Free Software Users Scene
> Fair Use -
> because it's either fair use or useless....
> NYLXS is a trademark of NYLXS, Inc
--
__________________________
Brooklyn Linux Solutions
__________________________
DRM is THEFT - We are the STAKEHOLDERS http://fairuse.nylxs.com
http://www.mrbrklyn.com - Consulting
http://www.inns.net <-- Happy Clients
http://www.nylxs.com - Leadership Development in Free Software
http://www2.mrbrklyn.com/resources - Unpublished Archive or stories and articles from around the net
http://www2.mrbrklyn.com/downtown.html - See the New Downtown Brooklyn....
1-718-382-0585
____________________________
NYLXS: New Yorker Free Software Users Scene
Fair Use -
because it's either fair use or useless....
NYLXS is a trademark of NYLXS, Inc
|
|
