The SCO Group is now demanding licensing fees from enterprise Linux users, warning of potential copyright infringement lawsuits otherwise. SCO’s CEO, Darl McBride, stated that the $3 billion lawsuit against IBM in March was just the beginning of their efforts to protect what they believe is their Unix System V intellectual property.
In a conference call with reporters and analysts, McBride asserted that SCO’s Unix IP has been misappropriated into Linux, and they are now offering customers of any Linux distribution the opportunity to run Linux legally by obtaining a specially tailored SCO UnixWare 7.1.3 license. McBride emphasized that this move marks a shift from a contracts case against IBM to a broader stance against all enterprise Linux users.
Earlier in May, SCO had warned commercial Linux users about potential code misuse and advised seeking legal advice. Recently, some corporate Linux users approached SCO to find a resolution, and this licensing scheme is seen as an attempt to address both parties’ concerns.
Additionally, SCO announced that it has obtained copyrights for its System V code, a procedural step in their legal case against IBM. The proposed SCO UnixWare 7.1.3 licenses will support runtime, binary use of Linux for commercial users based on kernel Version 2.4.x and later. The pricing details have not been disclosed yet but are expected to be similar to existing UnixWare licenses. By obtaining a license, enterprise Linux users can comply with SCO’s copyrights, and the company won’t pursue legal challenges related to the code.
SCO’s CEO, Darl McBride, stated that their new licensing offer to enterprise Linux customers represents a new front in the ongoing dispute. McBride emphasized that obtaining the license would resolve the issue without resorting to court battles.
During the conference call, SCO’s lead attorney, David Boies, clarified that the licensing offer is not dependent on resolving the SCO/IBM case, which is still pending in court. Boies asserted that Linux corporate users should not be using SCO’s IP in Linux if it is deemed improper conduct.
Analysts have varying opinions on SCO’s approach. Some believe that SCO is targeting users because going after Linux vendors like Red Hat would involve more resistance. Others express concerns that if SCO succeeds in extracting licensing fees from users, it could create a new tax on Linux, affecting the total cost of ownership argument in favor of Linux.
Regarding SCO’s argument about alleged code infringement, some analysts point out that the impact may be more pronounced for symmetric multiprocessor (SMP) capabilities in Linux kernel 2.4 and later. This could potentially slow down Linux’s advancement in certain areas, such as higher power uses, and affect planned purchases.
Source: Computerworld