NetBSD Trademark Application Completed 177
Daniel de Kok writes "The NetBSD Foundation is proud to announce that it has registered the ``NetBSD®'' trademark. The foundation would like to thank Jay Michaelson (Wasabi Systems) for filing the application and providing answers to the US Patent Office, and Carl Oppedahl (Oppedahl & Larson) for giving advice and keeping the Foundation informed about the process. An official policy on the use of the NetBSD® trademark is currently being drafted and will be made public soon."
trivial? (Score:2, Interesting)
Looking at the application:
Filing Date: 2000-09-12
That must have cost a fortune in lawyer fees. But then, if this is what it takes to further improve their already great product (I run it on my IPAQ!), more power to them.
What is a typical cost? (Score:2, Interesting)
Logo? (Score:2, Interesting)
Yes, but do they have a logo to go with that trademark yet? (http://www.netbsd.org/Changes/#logo-contest-close d)
This seems more like a BFD, so what story... (Score:2, Interesting)
I'm more puzzled than angered.
And what about the new logo? (Score:4, Interesting)
I hope I'm still in the running [outshine.com]. Anyone else enter? I sure wish I could see my competition.
New Logo Too? (Score:3, Interesting)
Debian NetBSD projects? (Score:4, Interesting)
-molo
Re:It is trivial! (Score:3, Interesting)
Then, there's the risk-factor. What, really, is the risk of a competing *BSD distribution taking the name of "NetBSD"? Again, no insult intended, but it's not got the mindshare to be seriously at risk. It's not Rolls Royce, for example.
Finally, what could the money have been spent on, otherwise? $500 is a week's worth of documenting, or maybe even a student hand-out for re-writing the installer. Wouldn't those have been more valuable?
Nonetheless, it's done. Time enough to regret the decision later. Now, it's a matter of figuring out what it actually means in practice. Is this a device to prevent code forks and/or another split-off? Were there core members threatening to form a breakaway distribution of their own?
And if internal politics were the reason, why not settle the issues peacefully? Is hostility the only way things can get done anymore? I hope not.
Re:It is trivial! (Score:3, Interesting)
Most people can make $500 in a day (eg painting a house). Many people can make $500 in a few hours. And there are still a lot of people that can make $500 in less than an hour. Sure, it may pay a student to do something, but that is hardly an accurate depiction of time-is-money.
Re:trivial? (Score:5, Interesting)
Organizations like these have many friends in many places. Who is to say a spouse or friend of a NetBSD developer/PR person didn't write some of these documents in their spare time? Friend of mine traded some internet access and good social engineering for a few hours of lawyer time to draw up some TOS and 1year contracts for the wireless internet he was going to sell to his neighbors.
Re:And what about the new logo? (Score:3, Interesting)
- Hubert