Saturday, June 14, 2003

NYT: No Concession From I.B.M. in Linux Fight

No Concession From I.B.M. in Linux Fight "SCO would scarcely seem a match for I.B.M., the world's largest computer company. But SCO certainly has name-brand legal representation in the firm of Boies, Schiller & Flexner, which is led by David Boies, the lead trial lawyer for the Justice Department in the Microsoft antitrust case.
For years, SCO — whose previous corporate name was Caldera Systems — has tried to build a Linux business of its own. Since Linux's code is distributed free and is improved and debugged by a loose-knit, far-flung network of programmers, most companies pursuing a business in Linux try to make money by offering technical support for Linux or developing specialized software that runs on Linux.
A year ago, SCO brought in a new chief executive, Darl C. McBride. He quickly decided the company was losing ground "chasing the Linux dream," he said in a recent interview. So he decided the company's best path was to focus on its Unix business, largely by aggressively enforcing its license rights. But lawyers who have looked at its license agreements question whether SCO owns the broad rights it asserts."

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