SCO Sets its Sights on SGI in Linux Battle
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Now it's Silicon Graphics's turn in the dock. SCO threatens to terminate SGI's Unix license over code use in Linux. Company denies claim.
Silicon Graphics Inc. is the latest vendor to become ensnarled in The SCO Groups battle over the use of Unix code in the Linux operating system. SCO, of Lindon, Utah, is threatening to terminate SGIs license of Unix System V as of Oct. 14, alleging that SGI has violated the license by contributing the source code into Linux. But SGI officials deny the allegations and say they will not stop using the licensed code since the license is fully paid and cannot be terminated.The dispute is reminiscent of SCOs legal toggle with IBM that led to a $1 billion lawsuit filed in March against Big Blue over its use of Unix code and alleged contributions to Linux.
SGI, in its SEC filing, appears prepared for a legal fight if necessary. The company warned that "there can be no guarantee that this dispute with SCO Group will not escalate into litigation, which could have a materially adverse effect upon SGI."
SCOs Stowell said the companys target is not Linux in the dispute but in protecting its intellectual property.
"We have no argument with contributions they may have made to Linux that may have been their own development work of open source but what we do have a problem with is when they take the Unix System V code licensed from us or derivative code and contribute that to Linux," he said.
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As an online reporter for eWEEK.com, Matt Hicks covers the fast-changing developments in Internet technologies. His coverage includes the growing field of Web conferencing software and services. With eight years as a business and technology journalist, Matt has gained insight into the market strategies of IT vendors as well as the needs of enterprise IT managers. He joined Ziff Davis in 1999 as a staff writer for the former Strategies section of eWEEK, where he wrote in-depth features about corporate strategies for e-business and enterprise software. In 2002, he moved to the News department at the magazine as a senior writer specializing in coverage of database software and enterprise networking. Later that year Matt started a yearlong fellowship in Washington, DC, after being awarded an American Political Science Association Congressional Fellowship for Journalist. As a fellow, he spent nine months working on policy issues, including technology policy, in for a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives. He rejoined Ziff Davis in August 2003 as a reporter dedicated to online coverage for eWEEK.com. Along with Web conferencing, he follows search engines, Web browsers, speech technology and the Internet domain-naming system.
