$100 per Linux-running CPU

Looks like Microsoft’s monopoly isn’t the only threat to Linux.
The link: http://slashdot.org/articles/03/01/1...5.shtml?tid=99

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Earlier today, a Slashdot post reported the possibility that SCO would attempt to collect royalty payments for intellectual property that SCO (according to that story) claims would make other Linux vendors liable to the tune of nearly $100 per Linux-running CPU. This report on NewsForge reports that SCO has issued a statement "disputing the claims in the story, but confirming that it does have significant asset claims in Unix IP and it is discussing 'possible strategies.'" Awfully ambiguous on SCO's part; I'd feel better about a straight denial

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This move reminds me of JPEG's: story here

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Late last week [July 19, 2002], Austin, Texas-based Forgent Networks flexed its legal muscle saying that it wants to begin collecting royalties for the widely-used lossy compression technique for color images.

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It has been royaly-free for so long, it will be virtually impossible to get every person having pics of thier dog or donkey pr0n.

Reading the Slashdot article and the comments, I am pretty saddened by this, and I can see a nasty court battle ahead. The questions I have are these:

1. I heard Linux does not contain any AT&T code, but uses UNIX-like conventions.

2. Does this mean BSD's are affected?

3. Does this mean GNU never meant anything after nearly 20 years?

4. What about all the open source developers? Will SCO give them a job?

What I see is SCO seeing the marketing headway Linux and distributions are making and they feel left out and just like any other greedy kid wanting it all and in the end nobody having anything.

Like one surfer said:

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Coming soon to a warez group near you: Linux!

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It makes me mad... I hope they change their minds.

albn

a mi no me lo parece yyo opino que el sistema poerativo linux deberia de suiguir siendo gratuito por mucho que digan las demas platasformas xdigitales

sorry, but what relevance did that have to anything? sorry if i may sound rude, but that was completely stupid. How bout you get off on a better foot, by posting understandable, clear, and at least contextually sensical. I am not negging you smoog, since its your first post you possibly don't know yet that we arent a forum that people post random thoughts/pictures/languages that dont really tie together :) good luck if you make it past the first few posts :thumbsup:

edit >> btw very interesting yet sad post cwk9...