SCO files counter claim against Novell

Not content with already having issued IBM with a lawsuit, SCO is to sue Novell for illegally placing UNIX code in Novell Netware. According to SCO CEO Darl McBride , Novell never owned UNIX's patents or copyrights in the first place.

In the release McBride said, 'Novell continues to say that it owns the UNIX System V patents, yet it must know that it does not. A simple review of U.S. Patent Office records reveals that SCO owns those patents.' Further, 'the 1995 agreement governing SCO's purchase of UNIX from Novell conveys to SCO the associated copyrights. We believe it unlikely that Novell can demonstrate that it has any ownership interest whatsoever in those copyrights.'

Also this morning, in SCO's 2nd quarter earning call, Jack Messman SCO CEO said that there's no mention of copyright and patents in the Novell law suit and that contract issues are really what the IBM law suit is about. At the same time, though, he admitted that SCO had been talking with IBM over UNIX IP issues and that Novell's 1990 purchase agreement of UNIX from IBM was 'confused' on the issue of UNIX's patents and copyrights.

Bruce Perens, director of Software in the Public Interest, a non-profit, Open Source development organization, says, 'SCO's brief reply to Novell explicitly acknowledges that SCO owns the UNIX copyright.'

McBride said that SCO believes that the company owns the UNIX copyrights and that all four of the people who signed the contract-none of whom are still with Novell or SCO-thought at the time that the intent was to transfer copyright. So, 'SCO has the absolute right to UNIX's copyright' and we're confident on how a judge will come down.'

Gary Schuster, Novell's senior VP of communications responded to this claim by saying, 'SCO will find out in court the the true weight of our influence.'

there is something screwy with this post, it looks like someone just switched some names in the letter that Novell has up on its site.

imho, this (here) post is bogus or came from a bogus source.

Oh, you noticed.

Note the nick: goat troll.

Admittedly, even I thought I was having a I'm-rubber-you're-glue moment.

i saw that but was not aware that he is a 'fixture' around here.

Neither was I, but 'troll' should at least raise an eyebrow. OTOH, with all SCO's shotgun accusations and IBM and Novell counter accusations and all the pundit speculations, I find it quite easy to become confused by the whole thing. Is it copyright and patents? Or is it trade secrets? Or, is it simply contractual? Who owns what code? Does it effect Linux, or not? If not, why all the letters to companies warning about adopting it? And what about M$? FUD, at the very least. Fear and loathing not far behind. And what's a media feeding frenzy without a little satire?

Good one, g-t!

OK, this is kind of an out of band question that I could have asked in private email, except I'll bet there are some others wondering the same thing. What does the expression 'I'm-rubber-you're-glue' mean?

[Followups set to a more appropriate newsgroup.]

It's children's playground slang, usually recited in a singsong voice. If you're insulted, you could use that as a response, indicating that you don't take offense at the insults ('I'm rubber', ie, the insults bounce off you), as they're far more correct when applied to the insulter ('you're glue'.

Possibly slightly archaic.

It's a classic child's taunt, usually held in reserve for when the child's name-calling repertoire has been fully depleted. The complete phrase, 'Oh yeah! Well, I'm rubber and you're glue. Whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you', should clear up the mystery.

OK thanks, the one we used was 'Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me.' Yours, from whatever time and place your childhood was in, is definitely superior.

not to date anyone, but that retort predates 1955 at least.