To follow up on my recent posting where I mentioned the SCO/Linux fiasco, Eben Moglen, in a recent episode of the FLOSS Weekly podcast, estimated the overall costs of SCOs unsuccessful action as between $100-150M! And he’s pretty well qualified to make a good estimate.
So if you’re thinking of investing in a company because they’ve suddenly discovered they have a great IP claim, as many people appear to have done with SCO, just remember where most of that money will be going… Unfortunately, SCO wasn’t the only one paying.
One of the best things about the UK legal system, I think, is that if you bring an action against somebody which is unsuccessful, you are generally liable for their legal costs as well as your own. It’s one of the best barriers against an over-litigious society. May we never lose it…
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