Very Computer

"In two weeks, The SCO Group Inc. intends to begin showing analysts
where the Unix code it owns has been illegally copied into the Linux
kernel. The source code will be made available to parties who agree not
to disclose the Unix source code, but they will be able to share
publicly their assessments of SCO's claim. SCO has filed a $1 billion
lawsuit against IBM alleging misappropriation of trade secrets and other
claims and has warned some 1,500 businesses that they may be using Linux
at their legal peril."
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<question> If the alleged copied source code is already in 'Linux' and
in the public domain, what is the problem with revealing the exact lines
of code so copied. No further breach of trade secrets could occur. The
damage is already done.

I thought they had already done the analysis. With three 'independent
programming teams'. See

How goes the three 'independent programming teams' ? Are these going to
be called to give evidence ? What about the NDA ? Has it surfaced yet ?
Are we allowed to see the NDA ?

Further more if in the unlikely event that such illegal copying
tookplace SCO would then have to provide details to the breeching
parties in order for them to remove the offending code. How are they
ever going to keep such code secret. All you have to do is perform a
diff on the before and after code to reveal the so called *secret* code.
I suspect that the above is just an elaborate charade designed to
disguise the fact that so such code exists.

"In an interview with Computerworld reporter Patrick Thibodeau, SCO's
Chris Sontag, a senior vice president and general manager of SCOsource
Division, the group within SCO in charge of enforcing the company's
intellectual property, discussed the company's position."
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Some more quotes from Chris Sontag of The SCO Group Inc.:

".. based on the research that we have done, we have identified specific
Unix System V code for which we have ownership rights that have ended up
in Linux against our wishes .."

".. I would suspend any new Linux-related activities until this is all
sorted out .."

".. We're still identifying more and more code from Unix System V that
is in Linux .."

".. We will actually be providing some of the evidence next month to
various industry analysts .."
".. We will actually be showing the code .."

".. How many lines of code in the Linux kernel are a direct copyright
violation? It's very extensive .."

  ".. I think this is just a desperate act on their [ Novells' ] part to
curry favor with the Linux community ..."
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Remember, he said two weeks. In two weeks lets see if his story is the
same and if not the why not ? I bet there will be some *unforeseen*
legal difficulty preventing his producing the 'evidence.

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http://computerworld.com/softwaretopics/os/linux/story/0,10801,81613,...
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System V has a lot of BSD code in it, as does Linux. So, anybody who looks
will be able to find common code. I guess that SCO are now claiming IP on
the BSD code. Just to add to the farse, it also appears that SCO don't
even own the System V IP.

William Shakespear had it right when he wrote, "Oh what a tangled web we
weave, when first we practice to deceive."

Ian