Summary: Bad news from SCO and a related scandal (Pelican); EU increases scope of action against AstroTurfing

THE SCO case did not end when Darl McBride got fired [1, 2]. In fact, it will resume and be decided around March of next year, but SCO is meanwhile shrinking to a shadow of its former self (and Microsoft is moving in a similar direction). Here are some new numbers that Groklaw has found:

SCO is downsizing. Ch. 11 Trustee Edward Cahn has filed a motion for the sale, transfer or abandonment of certain de minimis assets. They have also signed a new lease with Canopy, and they hope the court will approve it. The new lease with Canopy is for space more than 50 percent smaller than where they've been. So, no more feet on that huge desk in Darl's office.

Based on the Pelican [1, 2, 3, 4, 5], Darl McBride may also be up to other crazy things.

The Pelican claims sounded, frankly, weird to me when I first read them, including claims of Darl McBride and Robert Brazell setting up a website to defame Robbins. What legitimate businessman would do something that stupid, I wondered?

Given the anti-Groklaw Web sites^*, those defamation sites against Groklaw suddenly become suspect, as well as the personal harassment of Pamela Jones. Those people at SCO are no ordinary bunch.

Speaking of defamation Web sites, the EU is extending its operation against astroturf blogs (the US FTC is also catching up). From The Register:

Social networking sites and blogs can be governed by the European Union's Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, according to new guidance published by the European Commission.

Microsoft should be concerned because its business has been based on AstroTurfing. Like SCO, Microsoft is no ordinary company; it's a mindset, it's like a movement. ⬆

"On the same day that CA blasted SCO, Open Source evangelist Eric Raymond revealed a leaked email from SCO's strategic consultant Mike Anderer to their management. The email details how, surprise surprise, Microsoft has arranged virtually all of SCO's financing, hiding behind intermediaries like Baystar Capital."

--Bruce Perens

___ ^* IPWars seems to be one, but like most others which were created to counter another Web site/messenger it eventually sort of faded.