IBM launches counterclaims back at SCO

[questionlp]

It looks like IBM has spent it's time since SCO's multiple assaults at IBM and Linux quite well and has filed a sizeable counterclaim against SCO.

Per the News.com.com article:
In a 45-page document that it filed late Wednesday, IBM argues that because SCO distributed a version of Linux under the open-source General Public License (GPL), it can't claim that Linux software is proprietary. IBM also argues that SCO software violates four IBM patents and that the company interfered with IBM's business by saying it had terminated IBM's right to ship a Unix product, AIX.
[Source: http://news.com.com/2100-1016_3-5060965.html]

Slashdot has a dicussion and some additional comments and links regarding SCO's "Linux License". The thread can be found at:

http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=03/08/07/159200&mode=thread&tid=123&tid=136&tid=187&tid=88&tid=99

Bundle this with RedHat's suit filed against SCO (http://news.com.com/2100-7252_3-5059547.html), it looks like things are beginning to get even more exciting :)

[Ioman]

Not to sound rash, but I am glad that IBM is doing this. Ever since I saw the original SCO suit, I could not help but think that the SCO was taking the Rambus route and suing people just to make money since they obviously could not make money through good products. I hope IBM wins and a lesson is learned.

[Ioman]

Just found this at Slashdot too: SCO Targets US Government, TiVo, http://slashdot.org/articles/03/08/06/2232223.shtml?tid=106&tid=123&tid=185&tid=187&tid=88&tid=99

This is getting way out of hand. Totally reminds me of Rambus.

[questionlp]

The only saving grace for Rambus is that they actually had some good technology... but yes, their litigous behavior and demands for high royalties didn't help them much.

I'm still thinking that SCO is calling a bluff on the code that they say was mis-appropriated. Either it is code that SCO/Caldera snuck in or is something that came from BSD Unix.