🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <10id8rerp8mn96d@corp.supernews.com>, <telford@xenon.triode.net.au> wrote:
> In aus.computers.linux Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> wrote:
> 
>> Yes there seems to be a dearth of hard evidence. Leaving aside the 
>> printer cartridge issue, which the compatible manufacturers seem to be 
>> winning anyway
> 
> They are winning, after a long struggle and a lot of money wasted
> on legal issues that should have been spent on the business.
> Legal disputes cost money, and these costs don't contribute to
> social or economic development, such costs are a dead loss to
> the community. A good legal system should be designed to minimise
> disputes by making it clear from the start what is right and wrong.
> 
>> the only cases I seen judgments for have involved people 
>> doing manifestly dishonest things, or are not attacks on small 
>> developers.
> 
>> The big copyright case (SCO v IBM) can hardly be described 
>> as an attempt to intimidate small developers.
> 
> I would say it is exactly that, no one is worried about IBM surviving
> (there is no court in the world that has the power to shut down IBM),
> no one in the industry seriously expects SCO to win anyhow. The case
> is about discouraging businesses from joining the Linux community.
> You only have to ready the SCO press releases, which is why RedHat
> started their case to force SCO to show evidence or shut up.
> RedHat couldn't care less who wants to tangle with IBM, what they
> don't like is SCO making loud public statements about the future of
> Linux.
> 
> You also see that SCO's legal tactics are not about even trying to
> win their case, they have done everything they can to draw it out
> and make it as complex and noisy as possible but they haven't brought
> forward any evidence. It is a chest beating exercise designed to
> slow down Linux momentum and give Microsoft a chance to catch up.
> 

[snip]

The exercise is quite successful. Case in point :

In January the city of Munich decided to change its complete administration
from Microsoft to Linux. This involved circa 14000 workstations. A week ago
there was a four line annoucement, that due to the unsolved copyright
problems the changeover has been shelved.

P.H
-- 
The obvious mathematical breakthrough would be the 
development of an easy way to factor large prime numbers.
               (Bill Gates - "The Road Ahead")