Is there anything we can do as a group about SCO ?

[Vaughn Treude]

I definitely agree, SCO is dead wrong.  On the other hand, this could be a 
publicity coup for the Linux movement.  Microsoft's involvement makes the 
whole thing suspect and a lot of people will buy the conspiracy angle - 
although technically it's no conspiracy, it's out in the open.  Microsoft's 
actions either (a) acknowledge that the Unix/Linux OS is valuable and maybe 
even superior to their own or (b) they are seriously afraid of LInux as a 
competitor and are trying to squash it by typically unfair means.  And 
although it's probably a moot point (given their small market share) a 
"Boycott SCO/Caldera" movement could also provide good publicity.   I don't 
know if SCO is still involved in United Linux but if so, they should be 
kicked out of the consortium.   

I wonder if there's also grounds for a renewed antitrust suit against 
Microsoft.  It certainly doesn't seem that they've been living up to their 
part of the deal, and this SCO connection provides more evidence of their 
desire to control the whole market.  As a libertarian, I generally oppose 
antitrust law on principle, but when someone else uses the law as a sword 
they deserve to be impaled on a similar weapon.

Vaughn

On Tuesday 20 May 2003 07:36, you wrote:
> This intellectual property issue SCO is stirring up is out of line. I
> don't know what long term goals they think they are going to gain or how
> much money Microsoft has bribed them with. However they are slandering
> Linux and threating thousands of business's who are expanding this
> movement. As someone who tries to keep up to date about issues that
> surround our freedoms on the Internet, and ability to create truly free
> software I have become accustomed to the occasional and continuing
> assaults that we face from various groups such as Microsoft, DMCA, Music
> / video Companies and the like. However a company such as SCO who has
> put some effort into linux suddenly turning their back 180 degrees only
> to threaten everyone from IBM to the distributors and home users really
> makes me mad.
>
> Although I believe this will turn out to be a very self destructive move
> on their part I really want to do something to aid in that end.