Startup to Offer Open Source Insurance

ThePretender writes "From the Infoworld article, 'Open Source Risk Management LLC (OSRM), a startup company that last month hired Pamela Jones, editor of the popular Groklaw.net Web site, as director of litigation risk research, plans to soon begin offering insurance policies to companies using open source software but fear that they may be sued, according to a company spokeswoman'. What's next - Developers having to pick up 'code malpractice' insurance? Egads." Might as well get some alien abduction insurance while you're at it.

That alien abduction insurance

[Anonymous Coward]

Is very handy... especially the double payout for anal probing.

Eye Strain Insurance

[richarst1414]

I hope they start offering eye strain insurance soon because of all of the SCO related articles.

alien abduction insurance?

[morcheeba]

Sure, I guess it makes sense because there have been more documented cases of alien abuductions than documented copied lines of UNIX.

How about software life insurance?

[Anonymous Coward]

I mean, in case *BSD dies or something like that.

And Microsoft Insurance ....

[Mansing]

.... costs four times as much. I can't imagine why .....

Nothing new

[Ralph Yarro]

There's a company that already offers insurance against just these risks, for a one time price of only $699!

Woo Hoo!

[Anonymous Coward]

I just saved a bundle on my Linux insurance!

Starting my own insurance company

[Atario]

I'll insure anyone who wants to send me $1000 per year against catastrophic meteorite impact leading to the destruction of all civilization.

Wouldn't you pay for that peace of mind? Think about it, won't you? Thank you.

I've got some good news!

[stratjakt]

I just saved a load of money on my linux insurance by switching to UnixWare!

Re: Alien Abduction Insurance

[tomhudson]

One of my buddies was startled to see his ex-wife on TV claiming that she had been abducted by aliens (including being "probed").

When he told me this, I told him that he should stop paying child support, until testing proves the kids aren't alien spawn. We all got a good laugh out of it.

Re:That alien abduction insurance

[Patrik_AKA_RedX]

Anal probing? Last time I was abducted by aliens, all I got was this lousy T-shirt.

Re:Will they indemnify us against SCO?

[MarkGriz]

SCO is the illness. AutoZone and DaimlerChrysler are the unfortunate patients with the preexisting condition.

"No indemnication for you! NEXT!!!"

and then they take your red stapler away

[sacrilicious]

And for good reason, imagine you write something that rounds up instead of down in the hundredths place for some output

... and the program goes nuts and you suddenly have hundreds of thousands of dollars in your account that you can't explain, and you're probably headed to Federal PMITA prison, and to top it all off you find out that Lumberg f*cked her. THAT's when you need insurance my friend.

Re:code-malpractice

[Monkelectric]

"The difference between theory and reality is, in theory there is no difference between theory and reality, and in reality there is." (don't know who said that first)