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From: Terry Lambert <terry@lambert.org>
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.netbsd.misc,comp.unix.bsd.bsdi.misc,comp.unix.solaris,comp.unix.aix
Subject: Re: ISP hardware/software choices (performance comparison)
Date: 11 Feb 1996 01:30:48 GMT
Organization: Utah Valley State College, Orem, Utah
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Michael Hancock <michaelh@cet.co.jp> wrote:
] To me, Novell symbolized the end of the legal intimidation era over SYSV
] and BSD.
The back off by Novell was a consent decree -- an out of court
settlement. It does not preclude future suits.
Those of us who were pro-BSD Novell USG employees at the time
fought long and hard with our management to the Vice Predisent
level to get even that.
The agreement allowed a transition window to BSDI. There was no
such transition window afforded (initially; it was instated
post-facto) to the free camps: they were left under the "cease
and desisit" order letter that USL sent out *after* its purchase
by Novell.
The consent agreement included agreement to not distribute key
files from 6 kernel subsystems in the forthcoming 4.4BSD-Lite
release. Luckily, these files were a moderately easy rewrite
(it was obvious by choice of files that the intent was to prevent
a bootable system). It probably would not have been nearly so
easy if they had in fact contained USL intellectual property, as
had been claimed.
] Does SCO have any history of legal bullying?
I don't know; if they keep seperate counsel as a business unit,
the former USL, former Novell/USG *does* have such a history in
their move from AT&T to Novell ownership.
This has gotten very tangential, even if the history is an
interesting discussion from the point of view that most of the
people involved are bound by non-disclosure as part of the
agreement. The history can only be inferred from the reports
of those with near-involvement.
Terry Lambert
terry@cs.weber.edu
---
Any opinions in this posting are my own and not those of my present
or previous employers.