Striking at ghosts: trying to drive open source from the market place

For some years now, whenever the right audience presents itself, I have argued that open source software can and will threaten the livelihood of any company who has a business model based on closed source software. My premise is open source developers, with enough desire, can challenge any commercial closed source product. Since open source development tends not to be dictated by a financial model it becomes essentially impossible to drive a given project out of the market place. Coupled with the near-free opportunity of distribution via the internet any open source project becames a daunting foe of a commercial concern.

The real-world example of this argument is linux and the threat it is now presenting to Microsoft. It seems the threat has grown to such an extent that a war by proxy has been launched via SCO. If you believe Robert X. Cringely's May 22, 2003 column (as I do), SCO is being used by Microsoft in an attempt to discredit linux. SCO's strategy is apparently to sue IBM over linux. If they win, they validate their claims and discredit linux. Microsoft certainly benefits from that scenario.

But there is no “Linux, Incorporated” to drive out of business or buy out. Linux is an organic entity that will live on amongst people who find it valuable. Traditional predatory business practices can't strike at a non-existant company. The option left is to attempt to discredit the concept of linux.

Anyone who understands open source development sees this as ultimately a losing gambit. Because so many people use and like linux, if it were ever decided that linux did contain infringing code (doubtful), only hours would pass before the code in question was replaced with non-infringing code. SCO seems reluctant to explain exactly what they feel is infringing, most likely for this very reason.

If Microsoft thinks they can drive linux from the market place with their typical FUD tactics (fear, uncertainty and doubt) they have not yet adapted to the new market conditions. And with the current economic situation tilting in linux's favor one has to wonder what may yet come.

kherr @ 23:44 CDT | link | tech