In the wake of last week's ruling that Novell, and not SCO, controls the copyrights covering UNIX, Novell is reassuring Unix users that it has no plans to follow in SCO's footsteps. Given that the company is no longer in the business of selling UNIX, it has no reason to pursue any copyright claims.
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Member since:2007-02-22
(2) Novell have already issued everyone who wants it a license to use SuSe Linux. It is called the GPL. It is not revokable.
In some countries, perhaps. In most countries I know of (including the US and all the EU nations), the GPL is not a perpetual agreement, and can be ended when either party (owner of license or owner of IP) decides to end it.
Member since:2005-10-02
Incorrect.
The GPL is irrevocable in USA as well as EU. All countries participating in EU allows for irrevocable licenses.
You cannot REVOKE the GPL license - with ONE exception: If the Person violates the GPL license you can revoke it - but ONLY if the Person is violating the license.
I know you don't understand this as is evident from your postings on wikipedia, but when you allow somebody to use your work _forever_ as long as they follow the license then you cannot revoke the license unless it is broken.
Member since:
2007-02-17
Sigh!
(1) Linux is not a copy of Unix, it is at best a "work-alike", a "re-implementation". It wouldn't do anything for Linux if Novell donated Unix copyrights, because Linux is not a copy of Unix.
(2) Novell have already issued everyone who wants it a license to use SuSe Linux. It is called the GPL. It is not revokable.
(3) Novell's logo appears here:
http://www.openinventionnetwork.com/about_members.php
and here:
http://www.patent-commons.org/
... so Novell have already donated their patents to Linux.
What more do you want?
Novell is not going to sue Linux users. That would amount to suing your own customers. Only SCOG is insane enough to do that.