Commentators are suggesting that Google may be SCO's new target
for copyright infringement action, following a $3 billion lawsuit
filed by the software company against IBM in March last year.
SCO accuses IBM of infringing its rights in the UNIX operating
system by leaking UNIX code in breach of a contract. SCO says that
Linux contains its UNIX code and consequently is an unauthorised
derivative of UNIX. SCO is also demanding that commercial Linux
users buy its licences, although it backed down from a threat to
send invoices to users.
In December SCO sent written notices to its existing UNIX
licensees – 6,000 in all – requesting confirmation that they are
not in breach of their licence agreements, and have not used the
UNIX code in Linux. Chris Sontag, senior VP of SCO, told IDG News
Service that the purpose was to "formally communicate to UNIX
source code licensees and certain commercial Linux end users that
they must utilise SCO intellectual property within the bounds of
their existing legal agreements and the Digital Millennium
Copyright Act".
Last Friday, ZDNet News Australia reported that SCO was getting
ready to launch a similar licensing programme in Australia and New
Zealand – most likely before the end of March.
The court will consider the case again on 23rd January.
