The SCO lawsuit against IBM involving Linux has garnered huge amounts of press and generated lots of fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD), but according to Larry Rosen, general council to the Open Source Initiative, it's hardly the “trial of the century.” The OSDL has just released a Q&A document authored by Rosen, which sheds some light on a few of the issues.

Here are a few highlights . . .

• “Filed a few months ago, SCO's lawsuit against IBM has rankled the Linux community and disconcerted its users. Much of the worry is caused by press exaggeration.”
• “SCO vs. IBM should not be over-rated. It is a contract dispute between two companies with deep pockets, both of whom are prepared to send their attorneys into battle to protect their reputations and their economic interests.”
• “The entire situation must seem very murky to those of you not following it intently. These questions and answers may help you understand what's happening.”

While not offering legal advice, the Q&A document is intended by Rosen to calm some of the current uncertainties. The following questions are covered . . .

• Is this a lawsuit against Linux?
• How is Linux involved?
• Does SCO have a copyright on Linux?
• Can SCO demand license fees to use Linux?
• What is my risk if I continue to use Linux?
• What is the effect of the Red Hat lawsuit against SCO?

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