A reader asks a question I can't answer, but maybe some of you can. In reading
the APA [PDF][
text], he noticed something odd. The schedule of "included assets", Schedule 1.1(a), doesn't include UNIX SVR4.2. Can you take a look with me? I'll show you what I've found so far.
Update: While I'm researching this topic, I came across something else about patents, which Darl McBride testified he never licensed. Aside from Microsoft, of course, who claimed they'd gotten a license to patents. And what I just found is this
press release about SCOsource, dated January 22, 2003, which does in fact list patents:
SCO's patents, copyrights and core technology date back to 1969 when Bell Laboratories created the original UNIX source code. SCOsource will manage the licensing of this software technology to customers and vendors.
"SCO is the developer and owner of SCO UnixWare and SCO OpenServer, both based on UNIX System V technology," said Darl McBride, president and CEO, The SCO Group. "SCO owns much of the core UNIX intellectual property, and has full rights to license this technology and enforce the associated patents and copyrights. SCO is frequently approached by software and hardware vendors and customers who want to gain access to key pieces of UNIX technology. SCOsource will expand our licensing activities, offering partners and customers new ways to take advantage of these technologies."
But they had no Unix-related patents at all. Obviously people assumed they did, because Darl said SCO did.
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