CNET News: Handicapping SCO versus Linux

“New technology always causes legal gray areas. The history of
the computer industry proves that things eventually do get
straightened out, but not before companies are forced to find their
way through a prolonged period of uncertainty. That’s certainly the
case in the current dispute that pits The SCO Group against the
Linux community, says Stuart Meyer, an intellectual property
partner with Fenwick & West in Mountain View, Calif.

“Meyer, who specializes in such gray areas, worked on the
Napster case in addition to a well-publicized copyright spat
between Borland and Lotus in the 1990s.

“In an interview with CNET News.com, Meyer said that if the
court upholds SCO’s claims, it could present troubling liability
questions for the companies that use, develop or sell Linux. But he
cautions against any rush to judgment, noting that it’s not at all
clear whether SCO has full ownership over the code in
question…”

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