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TECHNOLOGY
AUGUST 14, 2003

Linux Lawsuit Could Undercut Other 'Freeware' Programs

By WILLIAM M. BULKELEY | Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

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(See Corrections & Amplifications item below.)

To many observers, tiny SCO Group Inc.'s $3 billion copyright-infringement lawsuit against International Business Machines Corp., and SCO's related demands for stiff license fees from hundreds of users of the free Linux software, seem like little more than a financial shakedown.

But the early legal maneuverings in the suit suggest the impact could be far broader. For the first time, the suit promises to test the legal underpinnings that have allowed free software such as Linux to become a potent challenge to programs made by Microsoft Corp. and others. Depending on the outcome, the ...