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2 clusters · 5 sources · 3 days · First seen · Last updated

IBM and Red Hat Linux code ownership dispute

Overview

A decades-long legal dispute regarding the ownership of Unix code and its integration into the Linux operating system has reached a significant turning point in the United States. The conflict centers on allegations by Xinuos—the successor to the Santa Cruz Operation—that IBM improperly integrated code from ‘Project Monterey’ into Linux, thereby breaching licensing agreements.

Initially, a US appeals court in New York dismissed the lawsuit filed by Xinuos against IBM and Red Hat, ruling that potential claims regarding code ownership were barred by the statute of limitations. This decision provided legal certainty for the developer community by mitigating risks of retroactive licensing fees.

Following this, the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the previous ruling from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, dismissing Xinuos’s appeal. While Xinuos has expressed intent to seek an en banc rehearing, legal experts suggest the likelihood of success is extremely low.

Entities

Red Hat · IBM · Project Monterey · Red Hat · Xinuos

Timeline

  1. 17 days ago

    [TECHNOLOGY] 3 sources
    Xinuos loses appeal in long-running Linux and Unix legal battle

    A U.S. appeals court has dismissed Xinuos's long-running lawsuit against IBM and Red Hat regarding Unix code ownership and its integration into Linux, upholding previous rulings.

  2. 19 days ago

    [TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources
    IBM and Red Hat win dismissal in long-running Linux code dispute

    A US appeals court dismissed Xinuos’s long-standing lawsuit against IBM and Red Hat, ruling that claims regarding Linux code ownership from Project Monterey are barred by the statute of limitations.

Sources

ithome.com · m.winfuture.de · michlfranken.de · softzone.es · theregister.co.uk