*BSD News Article 2425


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From: jfw@ksr.com (John F. Woods)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd
Subject: Re: AT&T vs. BSDI --> 4.3BSD-NET2 distribution requires AT&T license!!!
Keywords: AT&T 'Death Star' rises over BSDI's horizon [Tel. 1-800-800-4BSD
Message-ID: <14101@ksr.com>
Date: 24 Jul 92 12:49:56 EDT
References: <l6nibgINNje6@neuro.usc.edu> <3674@vidiot.UUCP> <1992Jul22.163407.10823@Warren.MENTORG.COM>
Sender: news@ksr.com
Lines: 19

tal@Warren.MENTORG.COM (Tom Limoncelli) writes:
>Maybe I've been reading a New York Times from an alternate universe,
>but I thought AT&T is a bit tight on money these days and doesn't have
>"virtually unlimited funds for legal expenses"... or do you just mean
>"more funds than BSDI"

AT&T probably spends more money on coffee for employees than BSDI will ever
handle.  Assuming they aren't squished like a bug by AT&T's legal staff.

>USL has been publishing press releases saying that Windows NT is the
>real enemy, and they don't care who's Unix you buy, just as long as you
>buy something that looks like Unix... because they'd rather see people
>switch to Unix than Windows NT.

That's because any UNIX[R] you buy is money in AT&T's pocket; they collect
at least the license fee if not all the cash you lay out.  Maybe AT&T
would rather see a cheap hobbyist buy Coherent rather than Windows, but I
somehow doubt it.