From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: mikadoZero Subject: Guix trademarked by Express Logic Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2019 14:15:48 -0400 Message-ID: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Return-path: Received: from eggs.gnu.org ([209.51.188.92]:50291) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1h3PT9-00047n-NR for guix-devel@gnu.org; Mon, 11 Mar 2019 14:16:14 -0400 Received: from Debian-exim by eggs.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1h3PT7-0004Wx-UC for guix-devel@gnu.org; Mon, 11 Mar 2019 14:16:11 -0400 Received: from forward106o.mail.yandex.net ([2a02:6b8:0:1a2d::609]:51362) by eggs.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS1.0:DHE_RSA_AES_256_CBC_SHA1:32) (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1h3PT7-0004T9-00 for guix-devel@gnu.org; Mon, 11 Mar 2019 14:16:09 -0400 Received: from mxback5j.mail.yandex.net (mxback5j.mail.yandex.net [IPv6:2a02:6b8:0:1619::10e]) by forward106o.mail.yandex.net (Yandex) with ESMTP id EAB0C506053F for ; Mon, 11 Mar 2019 21:16:04 +0300 (MSK) List-Id: "Development of GNU Guix and the GNU System distribution." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: guix-devel-bounces+gcggd-guix-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Sender: "Guix-devel" To: guix-devel@gnu.org I have search guix-devel for this and did not find it. I would like to know what people think about these topics: * does the Guix free software project have a trademark? * proactive name change * reacting to a forced name change * talking with Forbes Lindsey of Jade to gain insights * talking with Express Logic about their Guix trademark # Guix is trademarked That Guix is trademarked by Express Logic was brought to my attention by in this message: https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/guix-devel/2019-03/msg00122.html Thank you Tobias Geerinckx-Rice for mentioning this. Looking into this further here is additional information. Express Logic website: https://rtos.com/ Here is a press releases about Express Logic's Guix trademarked software product: https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/express-logics-guix-becomes-the-first-deeply-embedded-gui-solution-certified-to-sil-4-asil-d-and-medical-class-c-for-safety-critical-iot-systems-2019-02-27 # Does Guix have a trademark? Does the Guix free software project have a trademark for Guix? There is only one search result for Guix's website using the term trademark. It is in the manual "14.4.1 Software Freedom" and is not relevant to the question at hand. I see no indication that the Guix free software project has trademarked Guix. # A parallel in free software If it is the case that Guix the free software project does not have a trademark for Guix, then I would like to share what looks like a clear parallel. It involves another free software project that used to be called Jade. Jade did not have a trademark for Jade. A software company had the trademark for Jade. The company forced Jade to change it's name. Assuming Guix does not have a trademark then it looks like it is the same situation without yet having been forced to change it's name. Here is a link to an issue on Pug's (Jade's new name) GitHub page discussing their forced name change: github.com/pug/issues/2184 # Proactive name change Looking at the pug thread above shows that it would have been nice if Jade had not been forced to change their name so quickly and could have engaged it's community further on ideas for a new name. This raises the idea that proactively changing Guix's name might be better than reacting to a forced name change. A benefit to a proactive name change is being able to chose the timing. So for example the name change could be planned to coincide with the 1.0 release which I have heard is approaching. Similar to a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis. Maybe there is a opportunity here and this could be turned into a nice announcement. # Learning from Jade >From that thread it looks like Forbes Lindsey was the person that the company's lawyers were sending letters to. They might be a good person to talk as they may be able to share some interesting insights that would likely be directly relevant to the Guix. # Contacting Express Logic Also it might be good to reach out to Express Logic as they may not actually have any problem with the Guix free software project using the name they have trademarked. # Summary I am not recommending any specific course of action. I just want to start a discussion. Also in the interest of transparency I am linking to messages I recently wrote where I am open about my bias of not being a fan of Guix pronounced as "geeks". https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/guix-devel/2019-03/msg00121.html https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/guix-devel/2019-03/msg00134.html