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Private Conversation between Stallman and Torvalds

Some time between about ten weeks ago and six weeks ago, essentially the
following private conversation took place between Linus Torvalds and Richard Stallman.
Confidentiality prevents me from revealing how I know this.

Torvalds: 'Sup.

Stallman: Well, Linus, I've had my own engineers look at the code matches that SCO has revealed. Why did you do it?

Torvalds: I guess I got a little bored. I just couldn?t get things to work the way that I code, so I figured, I?ll just take SCO code, after all, it is vastly superior to anything I?ve ever written and it just works.

Stallman: I think you misled me a little with your mischaracterization of the
Linux project. I?m beginning to believe that all OSS developers are pirates, and youz guys aren?t very careful about whose property ends up in your code base.

Torvalds: It has to be verbatim copying. That?s the only way our crap?uh..stuff will work.

Stallman: You haven't kept the SCO code copying secret. It's downloadable from too many places, free for all to examine. SCO has now examined it, you?re busted, dude. Don?t get me wrong Linus, I?ve copied many a line back in my day, but my code never worked so no one ever bothered to check it. You must learn to hide it better.

Torvalds: Well, at least we?ve gotten IBM, Intel, Etc. to pony up into our slush?uh?indemnification fund.

Stallman: You don't own that money. You will either have to return it or find a way to funnel it outta there.

Torvalds: Well, if I get sued, I?ll just represent myself, and give myself the bucks for attorneys? fees.

Stallman: You don?t have a clue, do You?

Torvalds: Isn't copying the easiest thing to do here? We don't have to
copy all the SCO code, just the stuff that works.

Stallman: I'm tryin' to explain what I've learned here. SCO code was stolen by you, and IBM who were showing off how clever they are at stealing IP. Strange as it may seem to us, they don't believe copying requires cleverness.

Torvalds: You can't tell me all those SCO freaks are experts in contracts, trade
secrets, patents, copyrights...

Stallman: You don't have to know the fine distinctions between robbery and
burglary if you're not planning to steal anything.

Torvalds: Well, I don't care how you define the SCO IP violations. It's
your job to help me hide it.

The rest of the conversation was garbled, I?ll see if there is a Microsoft solution to help make this audio understandable.

Posted by: MuffinMan_z   Posted on: 01/20/04 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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