Sun moves to reassure Unix customers

In the wake of SCO's legal attack last week accusing IBM of misappropriating its Unix technology, Sun Microsystems has moved to reassure its own customers.

The vendor has declared that it has licences covering all the elements of the Unix core code incorporated in its flagship Solaris operating systems.

Sun explained that the intellectual property for both Solaris Unix on its own Sparc processors, and on Intel x86 architectures, was comprehensively licensed from SCO, the holder of Unix core copyright code elements.

"In light of SCO's legal dispute with IBM over Unix licensing rights, Sun has absolutely no licensing issues with SCO today," said the company.

"Sun's previous licensing agreements give Sun complete Unix intellectual property rights in relation to Sun's operating systems."

The vendor maintained that there are a "series of licensing agreements" which give it the right to make and ship derivative products based on the Unix intellectual property held by SCO.