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Lindows loses in the Netherlands
Lindows.com has lost yet another court battle over the "Lindows" name; this
time a preliminary injunction was given to Microsoft in the Netherlands.
Lindows has responded with a typical press
release: "The ruling will deny the Netherlands the cost-savings
that desktop Linux currently offers to approximately 18 million people
worldwide, leaving vulnerable and expensive Microsoft software as the only
option for computer consumers in the Netherlands." Regardless of
the justice of Microsoft's trademark claims, this attempt to portray
Lindows as the only possible source of desktop Linux seems misplaced.
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attempt to portray Lindows as the only possible source.... seems misplaced. Posted Jan 30, 2004 15:55 UTC (Fri) by rkpagadala (guest, #6588) [Link] That is how propaganda works, it does not need to have any basis in reality.-Krishna
Lindows loses in the Netherlands Posted Jan 30, 2004 16:48 UTC (Fri) by HoekstraF (guest, #19077) [Link] Sorry to hear this.Might be a good reason to change the name to "LinDoors" "Opens doors that remain closed for others".
Lindows loses in the Netherlands Posted Jan 30, 2004 17:46 UTC (Fri) by drathos (guest, #6454) [Link] I know a couple people who (based on their pronunciation of "doors") would pronounce that as "Lindaws" or "Lindowahs".
Calculated risk Posted Jan 30, 2004 17:25 UTC (Fri) by odie (guest, #738) [Link] Lindows.com must have known this was a clear risk when picking the name Lindows. They are using the similarity of the market leader's name as marketing, and surely they are aware that this is considered illegal in many places?They must at least have planned for the eventuality, and most likely have a new brand and a rebranding campaign lying in wait for the right time.
Calculated fight Posted Jan 30, 2004 17:38 UTC (Fri) by ccyoung (subscriber, #16340) [Link] Part of it was to take on MS (mis)naming of its products - generic names are not supposed to be trademarked brand names. Whatever else about Lindows, I appreciate them taking on this fight. Too bad it's going to jury - the law is clear, and jurors think MS when they think Windows.
Calculated fight Posted Jan 31, 2004 0:26 UTC (Sat) by odie (guest, #738) [Link] While I agree that naming an OS after a widely used GUI element is stupid and shouldn't be trademarkable, by now it is clear that the name Windows is closely linked to Microsoft. Lindows is a made-up name created not to allude to any part of the system, but to a competing product.I do not think it is a serious attempt to fight Microsofts Windows trademark, although I also don't think they would back down from an opportunity to do so. But whatever their plans are, it is clear that they mean to fight the common misperception that Microsoft are unique in their offerings. The more attention that is drawn towards competitors' products the better for all of us.
Calculated risk Posted Jan 30, 2004 17:55 UTC (Fri) by tjc (guest, #137) [Link] I had a nightmare where MSFT successfully sued Andersen Windows for trademark violation. All this propoganda from SCO must be getting to me.
Lindows loses in the Netherlands Posted Jan 30, 2004 18:24 UTC (Fri) by ccchips (guest, #3222) [Link] I had music on MP3.COM. It was offered freely, and without expectation of financial gain. One of my favorite electronic-music composers had music there, also. The Tuning Punks, a group of people experimenting with microtonal music, had their material up there as well. Now, it's all gone.I do not trust Michael Robertson. He should have come up with a better way to differentiate himself as a Linux distributor, but instead, he had to make a big splash by going after Microsoft's predisposition to get angry about trademarks. Frankly, I wish he had never gotten into the distribution business in the first place. There are other fine "grandma Linux" distributions out there, which are not being produced by exhibitionists.
Lindows loses in the Netherlands Posted Jan 30, 2004 21:30 UTC (Fri) by fLameDogg (guest, #11305) [Link] That sums up my reservations about MR as well as anything I've read.
Lindows loses in the Netherlands Posted Jan 31, 2004 4:12 UTC (Sat) by hedgeek (guest, #19097) [Link] Was wondering when MicroSquish will try to claim copyright infringementagainst the name X-Windows. Or maybe Washing-Windows.com or better yet, 'DirtyWindows'? :-) Such idiocy. -HedGeek
Lindows loses in the Netherlands Posted Jan 31, 2004 5:13 UTC (Sat) by fLameDogg (guest, #11305) [Link] I can't say how safe Washing-Windows might be, but in the case of X-Windows, there's nothing to quash, as this site points out.http://www.ntlug.org/~cbbrowne/xwindows.html Like a lot of people, I've been pissed off by Microsoft's (and others') misappropration of ordinary language for a long time.
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