BayStar Sets Lawyers on SCO 377
myster0n writes "According to The Register: 'SCO's attempts to rescue its relationship with BayStar, its biggest backer, have come to naught. On Friday morning, Eastern time, SCO announced that the stock buyback deal it agreed with the unhappy investor had closed. Two hours and five minutes later, Baystar issued a statement saying that a) no it hadn't and b) we'll see you in court, matey.'" Thanks to The Reg for the write-up.
Obligatory Simpson's quote... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Obligatory Simpson's quote... (Score:5, Funny)
"Release the hounds!" (Mr. Burns) might be more appropriate.
Obligatory Family Guy quote... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Obligatory Simpson's quote... (Score:3, Funny)
Baystar is canadian. (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Baystar is canadian. (Score:5, Funny)
I really can't see what all the fuss is aboot
Re: "Aboot" (Score:2)
Re: "Aboot" (Score:3, Interesting)
I grew up in Maine. Plenty of v
Re: "Aboot" (Score:5, Interesting)
Yes you have, you just didn't realize it because the difference isn't as pronounced as the parady in the South Park movie. I too, used to think it was just an old wive's tale, and that the pronounciation was identical, but a couple of months ago, there was a special on CBC called "Talking Canadian," which examined the regional dialects, inflections, and differences in our language.
They demonstrated the slightly different pronounciation of several words, most famously, "about." Like you, I used to think that the joke was that Canadians said "aboot", as in, "look at my foot, I'm wearing a boot." Since I personally don't pronounce it that way, and have never heard anyone else say it like that, I thought it was just a myth. But in fact, we do pronounce it differently than USAmericans, just not that strongly. If you listen, you can hear it.
Canadians pronounce it as "a-bout," like a wrestling "bout". Think of how you'd say, "I'm going out." That's the sound Canadians (and me too, I realized" employ when we way "about." I incorrectly assumed that that was how USAmericans say it, too. But the CBC special opened my eyes, and now I notice it when watching USAmerican media, too. They don't say it like we do. They say it like "a-bowt." The sound is more like we'd say if we stubbed our toe: "Ow!" Say it to yourself, "Today, the US President talked abowt the upcoming election..." Doesn't it sound surprisingly accurate?
There were other fascinating differences they highlighted, too. Like "stocking/stalking." Canadians pronounce them identically, but USAmericans put more of an "aw" sound in "stalking" than they do in "stocking." It was a pretty cool special.
You've got it all wrong (Score:3, Funny)
Re:You've got it all wrong (Score:3, Funny)
Re: "Aboot" (Score:2)
I assume South Park picked up 'aboot' from somewhere, but I'll be damned if I know where.
The first "aboot" reference/joke I can remember was in Chasing Amy, where Banky says he watches Degrassi High because "I got a weird thing for girls who say "aboot.""
Not saying that's where they got it from though, just the first time I can recall hearing it.
Re:Baystar is canadian. (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Baystar is canadian. (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Baystar is canadian. (Score:2, Interesting)
Now, of course they were completely smoking crack to say the Linux community owes them ~$700 per copy of Linux used. But if they do indeed own the IP to some of Unix AND IBM did indeed slip a few bells and whistles into Linux without getting the propper blessing....then I would say the slashdot boards are going to be an i
Re:Baystar is canadian. (Score:5, Insightful)
Well, as that's one of the signs of the Apocalypse, I think we'll all have bigger things to worry about.
Seriously - wondering "what if SCO is right?" is like wondering "what will I do if monkeys fly out of my butt?" After all, you've never had monkeys fly out of your butt before, so therefore the longer you go without having monkeys fly out of your butt, the greater the chance that they eventually will, right?
the length this has drawn out does make one wonder.
The length of time is simply a demonstration of how long someone can game the system. Why not simply ask "why has this drawn out so long, and SCO has yet to produce a single shred of evidence to support their claims?"
Re:how far? (Score:3, Funny)
I see. And what (exactly) are your contingency plans for when monkeys fly out of your butt?
You did say that everybody need contingency plans. Please share yours with the group; I for one am extremely interested.
How about if it starts raining cows tomorrow? Not just a couple, but thousands and thousands of cows in the span of a few minutes.
Surel
Re:Baystar is canadian. (Score:5, Informative)
JFS? ported from OS/2.
RCU? Initially refused by Linus until IBM granted all of opensource use of IBM's patent on the technology.
ELF? Released to the open public as a standard by Novell, Old SCO, and Intel.
There are more but they are along the same lines.
This case is baseless.
Re:Baystar is canadian. (Score:3, Informative)
You raise a very good point: No trial has even started. (someone correct me I am wrong here) but every case is in the pro-trial mode, with Discovery and Motions galore, but SCO hasn't been able (or willing) to actually begin a trial yet.
At this stage, it is entirely possible that no trial will EVER take place with SCO on either side of the issue. Even RedHat and others may drop their suits once SCO has impl
Re:Baystar is canadian. (Score:5, Funny)
It should be "We'll see you in court, you hosers."
Re:Baystar is canadian. (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Baystar is canadian. (Score:3, Funny)
Slashdot being a US site, should therefore translate it again to "We'll see you in court, sucka"
Re:Baystar is canadian. (Score:2, Informative)
The real conclusion... (Score:5, Insightful)
I'm suprised (Score:3, Interesting)
Pains (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Second Wave of Painfull news crushing In (Score:5, Informative)
Today a second wave of Bad PR build up, starting with two refrubished Stephen Shankland
articles in Australia, followed by Tom's Hardware Guide noting that SCO2 is in a "FiaSCO - SCO's war on Open Source about to be fought on six fronts" (notice that this is the same side that debunked Darl's Naked German Shorts before the last conference call was over)
http://www.tomshardware.com/hardnews/20040
Next was Londons The Register to notice that "BayStar sets lawyers on SCO"
When daylight crossed the atlantic, SCO2 tried to build a dam agaist the wave of bad PR and issued two press releases at 8 o'clock US east cost time in a desperate move to cover the bad news at the top of their news heap, to scroll it off the screens like a Troll posting bogus messages. Let't get some popcorn and see if it holds.
Re:Pains (Score:3, Interesting)
My favorite part (Score:5, Funny)
'SCO maintains that it has been a paragon of virtue and transparency throughout, and that everything it said publicly and privately is true. But, and this should come as no surprise, it won't had over the documents BayStar wants to see. It says this is to "protect the confidential and proprietary nature of the information" and to "avoid fostering speculation regardng its SCOsource business".'
Darl: Paragon of Virtue, Lifter of the Downtrodden, Scooper of the Pooper - He needs an action figure!!!!
Re:My favorite part (Score:2)
Re:My favorite part (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:My favorite part (Score:3, Insightful)
I love that one. Everything we said in public and in private is true -- even though they are contradictory.
SCO
Re:My favorite part (Score:3, Insightful)
The thing that really gets me about that one is that the two million or so shares Baystar is due represents about 1/6th of SCO's outstanding shares. So SCO is basically saying it needs to keep "proprietary data" secret from the people who own over 15% of their company. How the hell does THAT make any kind of sense?
Re:My favorite part (Score:4, Funny)
Welcome Darl, I am Hawkwind, Seer of Souls. I see that which is within thee and drives thee to deeds of good or evil...
Hawkwind asks: What other path seeks clarity?For what path dost thou seek enlightenment?
Honesty
Thou art a thief and a scoundrel. Thou may not ever become an Avatar!
Hawkwind asks: What other path seeks clarity?
Honor
Thou art a cad and a bounder. Thy presence is an affront. Thou art low as a slug!
Hawkwind asks: What other path seeks clarity?
Humility
Thou art too proud of thy little deeds. Humility is the root of all Virtue!
Justice
Thou art cruel and unjust. In time thou will suffer for thy crimes!
Etc, etc... you get the idea.
Two hours and five minutes (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Two hours and five minutes (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Two hours and five minutes (Score:2, Interesting)
Bankers on a Friday morning? I still think it was golf.
The reason it took so long (Score:5, Funny)
Clippy kept popping up with things like "It looks like you're preparing to sue one of Microsoft's business partners, are you sure you don't want to reconsider" and escalating to "You are making Uncle Bill VERY unhappy."
It finally crashed and sent an "Error Report" with the full text to Microsoft headquarters.
In the end they just installed OpenOffice and finished.
Most of the two hours was downloading the OpenOffice install.
Re:The reason it took so long (Score:3, Funny)
Nothing for SCO to fret about... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Nothing for SCO to fret about... (Score:3, Informative)
BayStar will not sue, SCO will settle. (Score:2)
Exactly. And this is why SCO will settle.
Keep in mind also, SCOs propensity to drag lawsuits out. Do you think BayStar really wants to get into a 2 or three year legal hassle only to get nothing when SCO craters into the moon after bankrupsy death spiral? This is all just a dance.
Re:Nothing for SCO to fret about... (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Nothing for SCO to fret about... (Score:5, Interesting)
S.O.P. (Score:3, Informative)
This is more or less standard in business. We don't hear about it most times because most cases of this nature are not high profile. It is posturing. SCO is a big old machine that's at the end of it life; everything is shaking, and soon it will just fall apart.
And this is exaclty why the suit will never happen, BayStar knows that in the end, with a law suit they will only help bring down SCO before they get any money at all. The t
Funding (Score:3, Interesting)
Really? Just wait, I read somewhere that Microsoft is going to need some Unix(tm)(r)(patent pending) technology to replace all those open source parts of Microsoft(r) Services For Unix(r). I'm pretty sure Microsoft is not going to mind if the price is a little bit higher than the going rate.
Another lovely day on the slopes... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Another lovely day on the slopes... (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Another lovely day on the slopes... (Score:2)
Re:Another lovely day on the slopes... (Score:3)
Re:Another lovely day on the slopes... (Score:4, Informative)
In the case of SCOX, the most you could make is $4.15 per share as of 10:38AM ET.
Re:Another lovely day on the slopes... (Score:5, Informative)
Both traditional investment and short selling have limits. Speaking both technically and practically there are limits to high high a stock can go. There is only so much market share available before you have to start dealing with anti-trust legislation and market saturation. Things get increasingly difficult the bigger you get. For this reason, stocks rarely go above certain values.
Conversely, there is a lower limit to stock price for shorting a stock, $0, but that doesn't mean your gain is limited. If I decided to risk big and short SCO for a million dollars, confident that SCO will be out of business real soon now and then they do go bankrupt, I just made a million dollars. It doesn't matter if they were trading at $0.01 or $1,000,000 per share when I bought them, I still made a million dollars.
Sometimes your strategy is good. Sometimes it is bad. There are few absolutes in investment.
Math (Score:3, Informative)
That's exactly what it means. Your potential gain is limited to $1,000,000. Shares of
Re:Another lovely day on the slopes... (Score:3, Informative)
There are a number of good reasons for wanting to sell a stock short.
For one, arguing along the same simplistic lines as you did: There are far more ways of running a business into the ground than running it sucessfully. Failure is also easier to predict than success.
I could've told you two years ago that SCO was going to go out of business. And they will, just watch.
The more serious
Comment removed (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:One could interpret this... (Score:5, Interesting)
I really don't think we've seen a tenth of Redmond's answer to Linux yet, simply because it's a tiny threat compared in reality to their customer base as opposed to what the average slashdot poster seems to think about it.
This was probably just them dipping a toe in the water. Hell, they've destroyed SCO (who had an old Unix and their own version of Linux), cost IBM plenty (those lawyers have to be paid), discredited Novell (what exactly do they own?) and made a lot of people think twice. Sure fills the gap between SP2 and Longhorn.
Re:One could interpret this... (Score:3, Insightful)
On the other hand, there's the risk that: 1)the GPL gets validated in court; and 2)Linux is legally declared unencumbered by patent/copyright violations. Also, OSS projects may be reevaluated by companies that were waiting for the legal
Comment removed (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:One could interpret this... (Score:3, Interesting)
They can't just "take their money". They already gave it to SCO, and SCO's not giving it back.
Well, they reportedly agreed to give back $13e6 in cash and more in common stock with sell rate limits. But if Baystar is to be believed, the deal fell through
Why prolong the agony looking for a declaratory judgement?
When you believe someone owes you money, but won't pay, what do you do? Sounds like negotiations have fallen apart and Baystar's only recours
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
*gasp!* (Score:3, Funny)
Dear Darl & Chris (Score:5, Funny)
It takes a big man to cry, it takes an even bigger man to laugh at that man.
Jack Handey
SCO Confused? (Score:2, Insightful)
SCO maintains that it has been a paragon of virtue and transparency throughout
Maybe a paragon of Corporate Virtue and Transparency . . . an oxymoronic (or simply moronic) statement in itself. But most definitely that group has been anything BUT virtuous or transparent.
Re:SCO Confused? (Score:2)
CVT eh? Funny - to me that stands for Continuously Variable Transmission. And that is a damned near perfect description of SCO's communications so far.
Cheers,
Ian
Come on, people ... (Score:5, Insightful)
So does SCO even have any friends now? (Score:5, Funny)
I see... (Score:3, Interesting)
And I bet there won't be too much rotting flesh left on that carcass when they're done feeding.
That's the masthead... (Score:3, Funny)
A Prayer (Score:2)
Baystar sics lawyers on SCO. It's only a matter of time before SCO sics lawyers on Baystar.
Please, oh, please, let there be no survivors.
To Quote... (Score:2)
OH SNAP!!
I was kinda having a crappy day until I saw this story
~ Segfault
What an abysmal state to be in (Score:5, Insightful)
Looking at their quarterly income and cash flow statements, one can only draw one conclusion; SCO will be out of cash in roughly three to four quarters without a significant cash injection from an interested party.
Their stock price sucks, their product sucks, their management sucks, and they have NO customer good will. They have no prospects for income and roughly $60M in cash. At $12M+ losses per quarter, they will barely make it to the close of FY05.
I would hate to work there.
Re:What an abysmal state to be in (Score:5, Insightful)
No, Microsoft would not do that (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:What an abysmal state to be in (Score:4, Funny)
Prev Close: 4.20
I think that is quite telling, considering the company, and probably the source of their business strategy.
NOT GOOD at all......... (Score:5, Insightful)
BayStar ABSOLUTELY MUST do this! Otherwise, IBM and the others will be able to get the information about the link to Microsoft (read the Halloween Memos if you don't know what I'm talking about). They ONLY way to keep that information secret (and protect Bill) is to get it wrapped up in a lawsuit with "confidential" terms and a confidentiality agreement.
This has NOTHING to do with getting back the money they were instructed to channel to SCO.
So while we are all sitting around laughing at SCOX Baystar is definitely pulling a fast one to COVER THEIR investor's ASS(ETS).
Re:NOT GOOD at all......... (Score:3, Insightful)
Zounds, that must be the trick the bounders are pulling. I mean it was only because the Halloween documents came tagged with 'press release' that we actually saw them.
"This has NOTHING to do with getting back the money they were instructed to channel to SCO."
Well, there you're right. It's the difference between what SCO said they were doi
News Just In! (Score:2)
Missing Foot Icon (Score:3, Funny)
Short. (Score:2, Insightful)
SCO not only just killed themselves, but they ensured a VERY steep decline. Baystar did this just right, issuing a press release on a Thursday. It ensures a huge drop today.
Since its founding in 1998, BayStar has never before sent a letter to a com
Google to buy SCO after IPO? (Score:3, Interesting)
Google... Buyout SCO and release all UNIX IP to the public!
Re:Google to buy SCO after IPO? (Score:3, Insightful)
Not so sure about that (Score:5, Interesting)
Isnt it amazing? (Score:5, Interesting)
myster0n writes? (Score:5, Interesting)
Nope, The Register writes.
If you're going to plagiarize, at least try to make it a little less obvious than a cut-and-paste of the article's opening paragraph.
Finally, the world realises.. (Score:2)
An appropriate price, I think, given what they're smoking over at SCO.
ahhh SCO (Score:2)
Good. (Score:3, Insightful)
One statement says it all (Score:3, Insightful)
Really given SCO's history of statements, does this come as surprise to BayStar?
It's sorta like on Springer when a wronged boyfiend/girlfriend/spouse comes on to complain how their partner has cheated on them. It's ironic though if the guilty party says something like "Babe, how do you think we met? I was cheating on so and so with you! Babe, you knew how I was before we started dating."
I pray that Darl doesn't wind up on Springer wearing a wife-beater. The usual pattern is that by the end of the show he's stripped down to nothing. [shudders]
Dogs-Fleas (Score:3, Insightful)
If you lie down with dogs, you might wake up with fleas.
Who lives by the sword, dies by the sword. (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Who lives by the sword, dies by the sword. (Score:3, Interesting)
SCO should've taken more precautions. (Score:3, Insightful)
the sound you are hearing (Score:3, Funny)
Biggest backer? (Score:3, Interesting)
The things that SCO is doing are blatantly suicidal and correspond in time with activity on the part of others, such as Ken Brown. I'm not a big conspiracy theorist, but give me a break. I'd be willing to bet my balls that Microsoft is funding not only SCO, but also all the other groups that have all of a sudden started attacking Linux and open source in general.
They may not be alone either. The other player that I suspect is Sun. Linux has hit them FAR harder than it has Microsoft. For the most part Microsoft has limited the ability of Windows to penetrate the server market, at least without becoming a much better product. Sun on the other hand, has directly lost market share to Linux, and not just a little bit either.
Ever find it funny how SCO went out of their way to declare that Solaris was "ok?" This was said in multiple PR notices. This makes me very suspicious of Sun. They have a LOT more to lose than Microsoft does. Their bread and butter is the server room, not the secretary's desktop, and that is exactly where Linux is kicking butt and taking names. This isn't just a matter of Solaris vs. Linux either. Its a matter of Linux on commodity hardware vs. Solaris on fabulously expensive proprietary hardware. Sun is behind the eight-ball in both regards. When Sun wants 100k for a quad processor system when you can easily buy an far faster Opteron based quad processor system for 1/5th the price, it makes you wonder what it is that Sun is smoking and why they haven't passed the bong.
I personally think that Sun is toast. If all they sold was an OS, then things wouldn't be so bad for them. But as it is they are stuck having to field both an OS AND the hardware it runs on. This isn't something that a struggling company can do well.
Re:Biggest backer? (Score:3, Interesting)
Today's SCOX chart - dipping below $4 (Score:3, Interesting)
Remember that SCOX has an announced stock buyback plan. So the support is, we have to assume, by SCO itself, spending its own money to keep the stock price up. Unsuccessfully. Support at $4 will probably be about as successful as the previous support attempts at $15, $10, and $5.
What the fuck? (Score:3, Funny)
"Don't worry about it Ricky, it has to do with the Internet."
"The what?"
"The Internet, Ricky. You know, the Internet?"
"Where the FUCK is Corey and Trevor? I told those fuckin idiots to be back here an hour ago. My fuckin weed plants need to be guarded and the cats have all run away. Fuckin idiots."
"Ahh fuck, here comes Lahey. Who the FUCK is that in the car with him? That's not Randy."
"Hello, gentlemen. My name is Darl. Apparently you are using linux here in the trailer park, and I want to talk to you about our intellectual property rights, and how they might be applicable to you."
"What the fuck is he saying, Julian?"
"I dunno, Ricky. Bubbles?"
"No fuckin idea, but I don't like the looks of him."
"Me neither, Bubs. Ricky, you have permission to do whatever you want to this sheister."
"You fuckin heard the man, Darl. Julian said."
WHAMMO!!
"How's that for pintoflectual flights!!"
SCO really loves OSS (Score:3, Funny)
Other enhancements to the SCO OpenServer 5.0.7 update include:
Mozilla Web browser 1.6 adds new features including tabbed browsing, pop-up blocking, and PDF support
User-Level threads increases application availability
Squid Web Proxy Cache 2.5STABLE5 with expanded authentication schemes, optimizes searching, SSL gatewaying, and more
DVD/CD recording and enhanced printer support
Perl 5.8.4
Supplemental graphics, Web and X11 libraries
Apache HTTP Server 1.3.31
OpenSSH 3.8p1
BIND 8.4.4
Re:Yawn... (Score:3, Informative)
Ignore SCO? Not so soon, bucko.
SCO still has considerable cash, though it's a finite sum. They will continue to find ways to trim the budget. The expenditures earmarked to prosecute the DaimlerChrysler suit are now lessened and money budgeted for it can either be funnelled to the other
Re:Obligatory All Your Base Reference (Score:3, Funny)
In A.D. 2004
War was beginning.
BayStar: What happen ?
Investor: Somebody set up us the SCO shares.
BayStar's Lawyer: We get phone call.
BayStar: What !
BayStar's Lawyer: Main phone turn on.
BayStar: It's You !!
Darl: How are you gentlemen !!
Darl: All your share are belong to us.
Darl: You are on the way to bankruptcy.
BayStar: What you say !!
Darl: You have no chance to survive make your trade.
Darl: HA HA HA HA
BayStar: Take off every lawsuit !!
BayS