[Luni]-understanding the Linux/SCO court case

[Matthew Landry]

On Mon, Jun 09, 2003 at 10:17:19AM -0500, jean at kcco.com wrote:
> By not promoting the idea that "this doesn't really matter" (it does
> matter) and "we'll always have FreeBSD even if they destroy Linux" (which
> may well NOT be true).
	Of course it _matters_. The problem is the ever-too-prevalent meme
"of course SCO is going to win and Linux is going to face death and then
that'll be the end of the world". Which is of course wrong because SCO
isn't going to win, SCO winning wouldn't kill Linux, and Linux dying
wouldn't be the end of the world. All three outcomes, if they happened,
would be bad. But none of them are actually GOING to happen.

	What WILL hurt Linux if it keeps happening the way it already is
would be for Linux advocates to run around screaming like chicken little.
The one panicky reaction that's based on a semi-logical foundation is that
MS will use this case and everything related to it for FUD...MS uses
EVERYTHING for FUD. And if the Linux community starts acting like SCO is
about to blow a big hole in its side, that'll only give the FUD more
credibility.

	And no, this _couldn't_ happen to {Free,Net,Open}BSD, because the
BSD projects are not even potentially privy to any SCO trade secrets. And a
trade secret case, unlike a copyright or patent case, can only be pursued
against a defendant with legitimate access to those secrets and a
pre-existing obligation to keep them...it doesn't infect third parties.
-- 
Matthew Landry              mbl at lelnet.com                       O-
LEL Network Services                           Anti-Stupid Talisman
"You don't have to outrun the bear. Just outrun the slowest hiker."