Hawk's Nest

Thursday, May 01, 2003

Code red for open source? | CNET News.com
Lines from Unix's source code have been copied into the heart of Linux, sometimes exactly and sometimes in a modified form designed to disguise their origin, SCO Group Chief Executive Darl McBride said Thursday.
This is the biggest news I've seen in a long time. And it illustrates the problem with open source solutions like Linux. With an open source community, the possibility of planting legal landmines, not technological, are numerous. Anyone can copy and obfuscatecode and in an attempt to go undetected. Legal challenges ensue when discovered and systems which had been royalty-free may suddenly become a liability.

Additionally, open source assumes everyone working on the code has the best interests of everyone else at heart. But we know that just isn't so in our world.

The "nirvana" of open source inched a little more toward the precipice today. I'm glad to see some sobering circumstances challenge the Linux guard. I know we're far from sorting out all of the issues. But for a "Softie", it's one significant threat which won't penetrate my enterprise.

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