Facing fairly incriminating evidence on the charge that both parties want to wipe out free software development, Microsoft walked free on the lesser charge of funding SCO's specific legal campaign against Linux, under the Scottish verdict of "not proven".

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[A poster on Groklaw writes:]"From this email, if we take it at face value, a big deal was in the works that could have stabilized SCO's financials for the next four quarters. The deal has not materialized."

If the Beast was truly behind the deal from the start, wouldn't it prime the pump just when SCO needs the money the most, i.e., round about now? The alternative view, that Microsoft may have encouraged speculators to have a go, but that BayStar now views the proposition as somewhat less attractive, certainly seems more rational. The conspiracy case simply isn't proven.

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