For those of you not privy to the fascinating news of technology today, I bring to you the following.

In the 1990s, computer programmer Linus Torvalds combined elements of the UNIX operating system with elements of his own design to create the operating system phenomenon called Linux today. Linux is infinitely more stable than any Microsoft product, but that's not why it's so popular (and controversial). Linux was the first example of "open-source" software: software whose source code was made publicly available online. Hundreds of people from around the world helped write Linux, and this is considered one of the reasons why it's such a secure and stable operating system: so many people were involved in testing it and re-testing it. But that's not important right now.

Linux, which is available for free (although some companies like RedHat make super-special modifications and offer it for retail sale), is used on a lot of servers around the world and by many companies. SCO Group, Inc., the company that created UNIX, is now suing the companies that use Linux, alleging that, since UNIX is an integral part of the Linux operating system, they deserve licensing fees. SCO demands that companies using Linux pay $700 for each server using the operating system, or suffer the legal consequences. AutoZone and DaimlerChrysler are among the companies that have been sued, and Forbes reports that Computer Associates International, Inc. has said that it will license the software from SCO. This runs totally contrary to the spirit of Linux, which is that of a free and open operating system.