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Big Blue files counterclaims against SCO

Latest twist in high-profile legal saga

Tags: code, counterclaim, unix, lawsuit

By Stephen Shankland

Published: 7 August 2003 15:09 BST

IBM on Thursday filed counterclaims against the SCO Group in the continuing legal battle over the Linux operating system.

An IBM representative said that the company made the filing late Wednesday. Further details were not immediately available, and SCO representatives could not immediately be reached for comment.

SCO has sued IBM for $3 billion, alleging that Big Blue moved proprietary Unix code into Linux and breached the terms of its Unix license with SCO. Separately from the IBM suit, SCO has said that Unix code was copied directly into Linux and seeks payments of as much as $1,399 per computer from Linux users.

The bold initial lawsuit, followed by the equally bold threat that Linux users should pay or face potential legal action, has sent shock waves through the computing industry.

On Monday, the top Linux seller, Red Hat, filed a separate lawsuit seeking a legal judgment about whether Linux violates SCO's Unix copyrights.

Stephen Shankland writes for CNET News.com

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