CRN Interview: Richard Seibt, SuSE

The CEO of Linux distributor SuSE Linux spoke with Senior Editor Elizabeth Montalbano last week in San Francisco about the SCO Group controversy, Novell's purchase of Ximian and other hot topics.

CRN: Do you find customers are holding off on adopting Linux because of the SCO lawsuit?

Seibt: Not that I can see. So far our customers are still buying. They understand that they are safe buying SuSE Linux enterprise software because we have a cross-licensing agreement in place with SCO because of the UnitedLinux joint development effort. On the other hand, SCO hasn't disclosed %85 what part of the code they believe is infected. [Because SCO] hasn't done that, customers feel safe.

CRN: Do you think SCO should do that?

Seibt: It would be perfect if they would do that so we would know what they are talking about.

CRN: Is there any reason you know that they haven't disclosed the code?

Seibt: We can start to speculate, but I don't want to do that. At the end of the day, I read the media just as you do, and there's a lot of speculation out there anyway that [SCO has] changed their business model and now they sue companies [and] people. It's something we dislike, but so far it's not hurting the business.

CRN: What do you think of Red Hat's suit asking courts to force SCO to prove its claims and to set up a fund to help customers defray possible legal costs?

Seibt: [It's] perfect. I think it's a very good action, and they have copied what we have done in Europe. %85 We went to court together with the Linux Association in Germany and asked the court to decide that SCO is not allowed anymore to tell customers or anybody that there is infected code in Linux. If they still do that, they have to pay a fine. So this is just the same as what Red Hat is doing on their home turf in the United States. Each of us is taking responsibility [on our home turf].

CRN: What do you think of Novell buying Ximian?

Seibt: I would take this as a fact that Novell is taking Linux very, very seriously, and it's another fact that they are not concerned about any lawsuit. They simply believe that Linux is something that is a huge value for the customer.