Open-source advocates have strongly criticized a Linux licensing scheme proposed by The SCO Group Inc. to address alleged copyright violations in the Linux operating system. SCO CEO Darl McBride announced the licensing plan, stating that they are prepared to offer a license for SCO’s UnixWare 7.1.3 product for use in conjunction with any Linux product to ensure compliance with SCO’s intellectual property rights.
However, Linux advocates are challenging the scheme, claiming that it appears to violate the GNU General Public License (GPL) software license that governs Linux. Open-source advocate Bruce Perens and others argue that SCO’s terms would restrict Linux users’ ability to modify and redistribute source code, which contradicts the GPL.
An intellectual property lawyer also acknowledges the validity of Perens’ contention, saying that it seems plausible. However, SCO disagrees, stating that their new license won’t conflict with the GPL, although the details of the license have not been publicly revealed yet.
SCO’s Linux licensing plan comes after they sued IBM for $1 billion in March, claiming that IBM had harmed SCO’s market for Intel-based Unix operating systems by adding code to the Linux kernel improperly. The value of the suit has since risen to $3 billion. SCO had initially focused on its dispute with IBM but later warned 1,500 companies that they could be held liable for IP violations in Linux. They also hinted at the possibility of pursuing case-by-case litigation against companies using Linux.
Free Software Foundation general counsel Eben Moglen argues that the licensing plan would be in violation of the GPL and entirely unnecessary. He emphasizes that users don’t need a copyright license to use any program and suggests that SCO is engaging in a distraction tactic.
Linux distributors, including Red Hat Inc., express no interest in adopting SCO’s license, as they have confidence in their code and believe the license is unnecessary. Furthermore, Linux vendors demand that SCO publicly identify the alleged violations before any discussion of licensing takes place.
SCO also announced that it received U.S. copyright registration for its Unix source code, which could potentially be a precursor to any copyright-based litigation.
Source: IDG News Service