[Nottingham] Sun's financial support for SCO (12% of SCO's revenue)

[Robert Postill]

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On Wed, 2003-09-17 at 08:04, Robert Davies wrote:
> Secondly the rogues gallery of SCO licensees :
>=20
> "Sun and Microsoft
>=20
>  Of course, SCO's customer base is shifting; a large part of its revenue =
comes=20
> from exactly two companies: Sun Microsystems and Microsoft.=20
Now I'm not saying that it definately is this but I do know that Sun x86
Solaris uses SCO's hardware drivers.  SCO may be doing Worldcom style
accounting to make Sun *look* like it's forking out for a SCOSodomy
license.  I distinctly remember Scott McNealy(America's #1 corporate
golfer - hint to Scott.  Look at the business, all your mates are
heading for the exit!) saying Sun had a perpetual license that absolved
them of any of these threats.  Why buy the license twice over... unless
he's lying.  Which I can't see.
> SCO's previous quarterly filing had noted that the "second SCOsource lice=
nsee"=20
> (being Sun Microsystems) had received, as part of its deal, a warrant=20
> allowing it to buy 210,000 shares of SCO stock at $1.83 each. Subsequentl=
y, a=20
> second warrant for 12,500 shares has been issued to Sun, at the same $1.8=
3=20
> price. There is still no explanation of why SCO stock is being issued to =
Sun.=20
> Most software licensing agreements do not include this sort of equity=20
> component.=20
Now there's the interesting bit conspiracy watchers! :) SCO execs (as
pointed out on Slashdot) have been selling stock very heavily of late.=20
What's the betting Sun would like a quick take of the stock if they win
or the intellectual property (i.e. the aforemented drivers and the
System V license) if SCO goes down the Chapter 7 route.
> Perhaps those of you, who have a Sun sales contact, might like to make th=
eir=20
> views known on Sun's financial support of SCO through this licensing, and=
=20
> furthermore point out the long term damage to Unix's credibility, SCO's=20
> arbitary actions and threats have done, particularly the "revocation of A=
IX=20
> Unix license".
I shall be preparing the thumbscrews and some pointy questions for his
next visit.  I shall also be questioning him about Sun T3 storage
arrays, ghastly things.
Robert.
--=20
Robert Postill
robert@grinning-cat.com
Tel:07968 801326

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