Will Linux remain true to its roots?

"It might look like the battle of David and Goliath, but in the case of the SCO Group v. IBM, not too many people are rooting for David.

The SCO Group, which has filed a $3 billion suit against Big Blue, alleges that Unix code--which it claims rights to--was wrongly used in some of IBM's Linux code. IBM has filed a countersuit, saying that SCO is simply trying to make money from laying claim to code that is freely available under the General Public License. Linux distributor Red Hat has also joined the fray, asking that SCO be stopped from making claims of intellectual property misuse in Linux code. Most Linux developers have weighed in on IBM's side, expressing annoyance at what they perceive as SCO's attempt to undermine the very nature of open-source software development.

The case is making headlines, but the larger issue in question is whether Linux--which has become the poster child for open-source software development--can truly remain open while simultaneously gaining acceptance in the corporate marketplace."

Tech News/CNET.com - Will Linux remain true to its roots?