BusinessWeek: A Linux Nemesis on the Rocks

[ Thanks to Jason
Greenwood for this link. ]

“Two years ago, a tiny Utah company maneuvered its way into the
biggest software battle on earth. On one side was mighty Microsoft.
Challenging the giant was the Linux operating system, built and
maintained by legions of volunteer programmers around the
world–and supported by none other than IBM. Standing between them
was SCO Group, a struggling software company in Lindon, a small
town 30 miles south of Salt Lake City.

“While short on business, SCO held some potentially powerful
copyrights. Partly funded by a hefty Microsoft license payment, SCO
leveled a multibillion-dollar suit against IBM, charging that Big
Blue had fed SCO-copyrighted software into Linux. This triggered
fear and loathing in the fast-growing Linux community. A court win
for SCO, Linux fans feared, could bring its growth to a grinding
halt. And so, SCO became one of the most vilified companies in the
technology industry…”

Complete Story