SCO Sends Warning Letters To Linux Users

The SCO Group Inc. said it is sending notices to thousands of its System V Unix licensees demanding them to certify in writing that they are not using proprietary Unix code in any of their Linux software.

The letters are the latest round in SCO's attempt to collect damages from what the firm maintains is the unlawful use of its Unix software that may be embedded in the open-source Linux operating system. In announcing the launch of the new measure Monday, SCO noted that it has 6,000 licensees-- 41 them Fortune 100 companies.

"We are taking action today to formally communicate to Unix source-code licensees and certain commercial Linux end users that they must utilize SCO's intellectual property within the bounds of their existing legal agreements and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act," said SCO senior vice president and general manager Chris Sontag.

The letters, dated last Friday, were sent out under the name of SCO's general counsel, Ryan E. Tibbitts. SCO's broad campaign to collect has been directed by David A. Boies, the famous litigator.

Previously, SCO has been targeting IBM as a test case in the sweeping litigation. In the IBM action, SCO was ordered by a federal judge to provide evidence by Jan. 23 of its claims that IBM has been giving away SCO source code. IBM has maintained that SCO has no evidence of any violations. SCO bases its claims on its acquisition of rights to Unix, which it acquired from AT&T in 1995.