Here are the two Novell letters, which are attached as Exhibits to
IBM's Amended Counterclaims from Novell's Jack Messman to Darl McBride. The first is dated June 6 and the second June 12, 2003. Thanks to the faithful Sorensons, for trekking to the courthouse to pick these up and then transcribing them.
Jack Messman
Chairman and CEO
Novell
June 9, 2003
Mr. Darl McBride
President and CEO
The SCO Group
355 South 520 West
Suite 100
Lindon, Utah 84042 |
VIA FACSIMILE AND CERTIFIED MAIL
RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED
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Re: IBM SVRX Licenses
Dear Mr. McBride:
This letter is further to my letter of May 28, 2003 concerning SCO's campaign directed against the Linux community. SCO's response to that letter reinforces Novell's concerns. SCO continues to advance unsubstantiated charges, and to threaten actions taht would potentially injure Novell, Novell's customers, and the industry in general.
Recently, SCO has reiterated its threat to terminate IBM's SVRX license. Pursuant to Amendment No. X, however, Novell and SCO granted IBM the "irrevocable, fully paid-up, perpetual right" to exercise all of the rights under the IBM SVRX Licenses that IBM then held. IBM paid $10,125,000 for the rights under Amendment No. X. Novell believes, therefore, that SCO has no right to terminate IBM's SVRX Licenses, and that it is inappropriate, at best, for SCO to be threatening to do so.
Under Section 4.16(b) of the Asset Purchase Agreement Novell retains the right, at Novell's "sole discretion and direction," to require SCO to "amend, supplement, modify or waive any rights under, or ... assign any rights to, any SVRX License to the extent so directed in any manner or respect by [Novell]." That section further provides that to the extent SCO "shall fail to take any action concerning the SVRX Licenses" as directed by Novell, Novell "shall be authorized, and is hereby granted, the rights to take any action on [SCO's] own behalf."
Accordingly, pursuant to Section 4.16(b) of the Asset Purchase Agreement, Novell hereby directs SCO to waive any purported right SCO may claim to terminate IBM's SVRX Licenses enumerated in Amendment X or to revoke any rights thereunder, including any purported rights to terminate asserted in SCO's letter of March 6, 2003 to IBM. Novell directs SCO to take this action by noon, MDT, June 12, 2003, and to notify Novell that it has done so by that time.
Sincerely,
[signature of Jack L. Messman]
Jack L. Messman
*****************************************
Jack Messman
Chairman and CEO
Novell
VIA FACSIMILE AND CERTIFIED MAIL
RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED
June 12, 2003
Darl McBride
President and Chief Executive Officer
The SCO Group
355 South 520 West
Lindon, UT 84042
Ronald A. Lauderdale, Esq.
Vice-President, Assistant General Counsel
International Business Machines Corporation
Maildrop 4201
Route 100
Somers, N.Y. 10589
Re: IBM SVRX Licenses
Gentlemen:
Reference is made to the following:
- Asset Purchase Agreement by and between The Santa Cruz Operation, Inc. and Novell, Inc. dated as of September 19, 1995, and more particularly to Section 4.16(b) of that agreement;
- Amendment No. X to Software Agreement SOFT-00015, et seq., between International Business Machines Corporation, The Santa Cruz Operation, Inc., and Novell, Inc;
- Letter dated March 6, 2003 from The SCO Group to International Business Machines Corporation; and
- Letter dated June 9, 2003 from Novell to The SCO Group regarding IBM SVRX Licenses.
In its June 9 letter to The SCO Group, Novell directed "SCO to waive any purported right SCO may claim to terminate IBM's SVRX Licenses enumerated in Amendment X or to revoke any rights thereunder, including any purported rights to terminate asserted in SCO's letter of March 6, 2003 to IBM." Novell directed SCO "to take this action by noon, MDT, June 12, 2003."
SCO has failed to take the action directed by Novell.
Accordingly, pursuant to Section 4.16(b) of the Asset Purchase Agreement, Novell, on behalf of The SCO Group, hereby waives any purported right SCO may claim to terminate IBM's SVRX Licenses enumerated in Amendment X or to revoke any rights thereunder, including any purported rights to terminate asserted in SCO's letter of March 6, 2003 to IBM.
Sincerely,
[signature of Jack L. Messman]
Jack L. Messman
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