TradeMarked Name --redhat-config-

[Behdad Esfahbod]

On Sun, 9 Nov 2003, Lance Davis wrote:

> That really sums up redhats attitude does it ??
>
> None of the other projects / companies mentioned , including XFree86 ,
> Apache etc, use trademarks to restrict the distribution of GPL software
> like Redhat does.

Quoting GPL FAQ:

  The GPL says that anyone who receives a copy of your version from
  you has the right to redistribute copies (modified or not) of
  that version. It does not give you permission to distribute the
  work on any more restrictive basis.

So isn't Red Hat already violating that by their restrictions on
using their trademark and releasing software with the trademark
in it as GPL?

> Who is to say that in the next release we may be told to rename all of the
> redhat- rpms as well as redhat-artwork and anaconda-images, because they
> use redhats trademark - it is redhat inc that have chosen the rules and
> changed the goalposts at each release of Redhat(TM) Linux(TM).

GPL should protect you perhaps.

> And even though neither we nor our lawyers may agree with redhats
> interpretation of trademark law we do not have deep enough pockets to
> argue.
>
> It is right that the questions are asked now, and hopefully anmswers
> given. The use of redhat- for an rpm in theory contravenes redhats published tradmark guidelines, and
> permission is not given anywhere for its use.
>
> Surely if redhat does allow this use then it may be weakening its
> trademark position ....
>
> And what about all of those people calling up redhat inc for support on
> the redhat- rpms when they havent paid for it because they got it from a
> back street cd vendor ??
>
> What if I called my package redhat-config-widgit because it configures a
> widgit to work with redhat/fedora/other rpm based distro ???
>
> So - get yourself a life ... and ask your lawyers to give the answers.
>
>
> Lance
>
>