Nothing in life is free—not even Linux
By Staff -- Manufacturing Business Technology, 9/1/2003 6:00:00 AM
A major argument for adopting Linux is that the operating system itself is free, which should significantly reduce the cost of operating IT networks. But that could change if The SCO Group, a small Utah-based outfit, wins its $3-billion lawsuit against IBM, perhaps the largest developer of Linux-based solutions.
In addition to putting the legal squeeze on Big Blue, SCO has warned 1,500 large corporations that they could soon receive bills for their use of Linux. SCO claims it is entitled to compensation because it owns the UNIX source code from which Linux was derived.
Meanwhile, Red Hat, a Linux distributor based in Raleigh, N.C., has sued SCO, contending that SCO's actions are "unfair and deceptive"—in part because SCO has never identified the portions of UNIX it claims are being used illegally in Linux.
So, will Linux users have to pony up license fees for the supposed freeware?
Some industry analysts believe SCO management has other motives, like forcing a more prosperous rival to buy its business, which has struggled to make a profit on its own line of Linux-based products.
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