More Threatening Letters from SCO

More Threatening Letters from SCO

by Pamela Jones
Groklaw

December 21 2003

The NY Times [ http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/22/technology/22sco.html ] [free sub req'd] says SCO is sending another letter to several hundred companies using Linux. This is the big announcement being made Monday morning:

"The new letters, signed by Ryan E. Tibbitts, SCO's general counsel, name more than 65 programming files that 'have been copied verbatim from our copyrighted Unix code base and contributed to Linux.'

"The letters focus on application binary interfaces, the programming hooks by which a software application gains access to the underlying operating system. 'We believe these violations are serious, and we will take appropriate actions to protect our rights,' the letters state."

65? I thought it was millions. It's so hard to keep up. OK. I'll be the first to ask: which 65? Could they tell us with specificity please? Here [ http://mozillaquest.com/Linux03/ScoSource-01_Story01.html #in_Linux_Distributions ] is what they said back when this soap opera began. We seem to be back at GO again.

They will also be sending letters to their 6,000 licensees, asking them to certify in writing "that they are complying with SCO licenses" and that "none of their employees or contractors have contributed any Unix code to Linux".

I think they'd best send one of those letters to themself. (See here [ http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=128 ] and here [ http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=113 ] and here [ http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20031210111235600 ].)

11:14 PM EST