Linus Torvalds: SCO Is "Just Too Wrong"

BusinessWeek Online ^ | 1/27/2004 | Staff

[B Knotts]

The originator of the Linux OS has sharp words for SCO's "cornered rat" claims of intellectual-property infringement

If anyone knows what's in Linux, it's Linus Torvalds. He did the first work on the open-source operating system while a student at the University of Helsinki, and he managed the often chaotic process of building it with other programmers. Now, SCO Group (SCOX), a small Utah software company, claims Linux is trampling on intellectual property rights it inherited from Novell (NOVL), which got them from AT&T (T). In an e-mail interview with BusinessWeek Correspondent Jim Kerstetter, Torvalds explains why he thinks SCO is wrong. The following are edited excerpts from that interview:

[B Knotts]

Here's what Linus had to say most recently about the whole SCO mess.

[B Knotts]

Would you call the penguins?

[bonesmccoy]

[bonesmccoy]

JUMP!

Sort of reminds one of CNBC's Squawk Box video of all the dumb "experts" downgrading simultaneously.

[bonesmccoy]

LOL

[B Knotts]

Hmmm...well, I guess I did ask for penguins. Thanks...I guess. :-)

[bonesmccoy]

hehe...

[B Knotts]

This point is interesting, IMO:

Also, SCO has apparently several times mentioned how copyright notices have been removed. Just for the record: Original Unix doesn't have any copyright notices to remove. They were added after a lawsuit [between the Berkeley developers and AT&T, which was settled]. So SCO would be wrong again.

This is also, if I recall correctly, the source of the question of the validity of the Unix copyright from that era.

[rdb3]

The Penguin Ping.

Wanna be Penguified? Just holla!

Got root?

[stainlessbanner]

Great interview.

[Golden Eagle]

There are now a number of people who have access to both Unix sources and Linux code, and literally written automated tools to find similarities. They found something like 30 lines from [Silicon Graphics, SGI ] that were dubious and that had been removed already. SGI wrote an open letter about their mistake.

Looks to me like he's talking out of both sides of his mouth. First he says 'SCO is wrong wrong wrong' but then admits that illegal code has already been found and had to be removed.

[B Knotts]

Hmmm...I saw the word "dubious," yet you saw the word "illegal."

You must be reading with a special font.

[Golden Eagle]

Hmmm...I saw the word "dubious," yet you saw the word "illegal."

I was translating it for you since he's not American, you know. Strange how he does all these e-mail interviews too, like some man behind the curtain. Wonder if it's really even him.

[AFreeBird]

Q: If there is protected code in Linux, is there a solution?

A: Oh, the solution to any patent/copyright dispute is licensing the [intellectual property] or not using it. It's that simple.

In this case, we would clearly just remove it, but SCO has been less than forthcoming about what the contested code would be -- and when they do mention code, we can prove they are [wrong]. But we've always said in public that if SCO can actually show that somebody has inserted SCO [intellectual property] improperly in the [core of Linux], we will remove it. SCO only needs to ask.