Linux Law Suits

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SCO sets Linux licensing prices
http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1104_2-5060134.html
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"Red Hat's lawsuit confirms what we've been saying all along--Linux developers
are either unable or unwilling to screen the code" that goes into the Linux
kernel, McBride said. "Red Hat is selling Linux that contains verbatim and
obfuscated code from Unix System 5."

SCO further riled the Linux community by sending letters to 1,500 IT managers
warning them that any use of Linux could expose them to further intellectual
property claims.

As promised, SCO unveiled a licensing plan Tuesday for businesses that want to
continue using Linux with SCO's blessing. The new license gives customers the
right to use any SCO-controlled Unix code allegedly incorporated in Linux,
starting with the 2.4 version of the Linux kernel.

Prices are steep for a free operating system. Introductory prices include $199
to run Linux on a desktop PC and $699 to run it on a server with a single CPU.
The server price jumps to $1,399 after the introductory period ends on Oct. 15.
By comparison, Red Hat's standard version of desktop Linux sells for $39.

"The reality here (is that) IBM and Red Hat have painted a Linux liability
target on the backs of their customers," he said. "Due to IBM's and Red Hat's
actions, we have no choice but to fight the battle at the end-user level."

McBride also was unusually blunt in attacking open-source software, saying the
general public license (GPL) format that Red Hat and other Linux sellers rely
on is fundamentally flawed from a business and legal perspective.

"At issue here is more than just SCO and Red Hat," McBride said. "What is at
issue here is whether intellectual property rights will have any value in the
age of the Internet."


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CXN, Inc. Contact: john@...
President, The Linux Society
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/linux-society
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