[Gllug] Re:SCO's Linux fight

[Alistair Mann]

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Thus spaketh Wulf Forrester-Barker on Friday 30 May 2003 9:35 am:
> Roy <rdrinkwater at ego-computers.ltd.uk> commented
>
> > I think the letter at
> > http://www.sco.com/scosource/letter_to_linux_customers.html
> > makes interesting reading.
>
> I think the 'brains' behind this at SCO haven't read and inwardly
> digested 'How to Win Friends and Influence People'! 

I can almost guarantee that they have. What SCO is doing is a perfect example 
of How To Win Friends and Influence People, but the one written by Mr Gates, 
not Mr Carnegie!

Too many other people are saying that what SCO are doing doesn't make sense, 
or is foolish, or describe it in similar terms. I'd disagree. What they are 
doing makes sense to them, otherwise they wouldn't be doing it. 

> My immediate
> question is what exactly are they claiming to own? 

Less interesting than What is Why. 

Just because someone claims ownership does not make it so; there may be some 
advantage to that claim which they can press even if they have to later 
withdraw the claim. For instance, some people think this might be an effort 
to get IBM to buy them out. Or perhaps it was simply to get MS to sign along 
the dotted line. Whatever, one ought to note that what appears to be the End 
is sometimes only the Means.

> For example, does a
> command like 'ls' become copyright? 

A program could have its source copyrighted, but its 'function' would have to 
be patented. Such a patent would be thrown out if there was prior art, which 
there is; so I think ls is safe.

> What kind of directory listing can I
> do without infringing SCO's valuable intellectual property?

dir ;-)

> We've got an old SCO system at work which I'm gradually phasing out -
> it's been planned for a long time, but I must admit that I anticipate a
> certain vicarious pleasure when I finally get round to pulling the plug
> ;-)
>
> Wulf

That's sufficiently rare a name for these parts that I have to ask: are you 
the same Wulf who was once active in the London Amiga scene? 
- -- 
Alistair`
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