Messages in this thread | | | Date | Sun, 6 Feb 2000 18:10:38 -0500 (EST) | From | Gregory Maxwell <> | Subject | Re: Linux trademark garbage |
| |
On Sun, 6 Feb 2000, Alan Cox wrote:
> > "hard" real-time applications. " and "RTLinux is a trademark of VJY > > Associates L.L.C." > > > > RT Linux has been the name of the RT Linux patches for ages. This seems to > > me to be a case of, "We can't close our code, so we'll make a generic > > trademark and prevent competaion".. > > Why. Last time I checked RTLinux was written by one V Yodaiken, I wouldnt > be suprised if he happened to be V J Yodaiken ...
Okay. Thanks for sheding some light here. :)
I'm still not sure that trademarking RTLinux is good, as the use of such a generic name would make forking difficult.
I.e. If it were cold YodaLinux-Real-Time(tm) and I didn't like the development direction, I could make a fork called FooBarLinux-Real-Time and all would be good.
With the width of trademark enforcement today, I might hae a hard time producing 'Real-Time Linux' or 'LinuxRT' or even 'Greg's RTLinux' from RTLinux.
Not that I would fear a developer doing something so rude, but with coperate buyouts, shareholders, etc. Uncreful trademarking could have a chilling effect on open software development.
The price of freedom is eternal vigilance or something along those lines.
- To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.rutgers.edu Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/
| |