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From: pbd@runyon.cim.cdc.com (Paul Dokas)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd
Subject: Re: UNIGRAM's article on the USL-BSDI suit
Message-ID: <45961@shamash.cdc.com>
Date: 1 Aug 92 15:21:37 GMT
References: <1992Aug1.020513.14170@plts.uucp>
Sender: usenet@shamash.cdc.com
Reply-To: pbd@runyon.cim.cdc.com (Paul Dokas)
Organization: ICEM Systems, Inc
Lines: 64
In article <1992Aug1.020513.14170@plts.uucp>, tal@plts.uucp (Tom Limoncelli) writes:
|> Public opinion
|>
|> Had that proposal been acted on, McKusick, CSRG senior programmer
|> and past president of Usenix, would have found himself in another
|> conflict of interests since he is believed to be a secret a
|> director of BSDI. BSDI, which the USL suit suggests is in
|> collusion with CSRG, declines to publicly identify any of its
|> founders or investors declaring such information "proprietary" on
|> the basis that BSDI is a closely held company. No names appear on
|> BSDI's papers of incorporation except the company's nominal
|> president Rick Adams who was described to Unigram last week by
|> Donnalyn Frey, BSDI's spokesman, as merely a figurehead, soon to
|> be replaced when BSDI completes its current search for a chief
|> executive. Adams, she said, is actually the president of UUNet
|> Technologies, a long-established company currently distributing
|> BSD/386. Donnalyn, well-known as Usenix's erstwhile spokesman,
|> should know since she is in fact Mrs Rick Adams. Besides
|> McKusick, there are other ties between CSRG and BSDI. According
|> to an April filing with the Virginia Commission on Corporations,
|> where BSDI is headquartered, CSRG senior programmer Keith Bostic
|> and former CSRG mainstay Mike Karels, the acknowledged architect
|> of the university's 4.3 BSD release, are also directors of BSDI.
|> BSDI describes Karels simply as an employee, claiming he joined
|> the company after BSD/386 was established. Another director is
|> Don Seeley, an employee of UUNet Technologies, the supplier of
|> UUNet. Clearly USL will argue that CSRG staff gave themselves
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
|> permission to commercialise the system and will doubtless note a
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
|> violation of the university's established code of ethics which
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
|> requires university personnel with a financial interest in a
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
|> university decision to disqualify themselves. BSDI, meanwhile, is
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
|> attempting to try the case in the court of public opinion. The
|> week before last it put the full text of the initial complaint
|> (but not the expanded suit) on UUNet ostensibly because so many
|> were asking to see the exact wording. More details on page four.
I know that this section of the UNIGRAM article simply reeks of rumors
and idle-speculation on the author's part. But if the section that I've
highlighted is true, then isn't this a VERY serious problem for BSDI and
CSRG (and all of us as a result)?
I'm almost afraid to ask this, but does anyone have any more information
regarding what happened at CSRG over the last few years? I know that
Bill Jolitz posted an open letter to the net that stated his motivations
in light of problems between him and CSRG. But there clearly was much
more going on.
I *REALLY* hope that the members of CSRG did not engage in these actions.
It seems to me that if these allegations are true, then USL has won a battle
in the war.
Just some panic-induced, idle-speculation on my part, please take what I
write with a grain of salt.
--
#include <std.disclaimer>
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#define EMAIL_PRIMARY "pbd@runyon.cim.cdc.com"
#define EMAIL_SECONDARY "pbd@power1.cim.cdc.com"
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