Hi Joann,
Have you considered sending this to some of the tech podcasts? I
think both the Command-Line podcast (http://thecommandline.net/) and
Linux Outlaws (http://sixgun.org/linuxoutlaws/) would be great
audiences and receptive to this story.
I'm a regular listener of both and if you want me to contact them so
they would get it from a a regular listener who I'd be more than happy
to forward your message with some personal notes. (And the paypal
link too ;) ).
Jon Gorman
On Mon, Nov 21, 2011 at 6:51 PM, Joann Ransom <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Horowhenua Library Trust is the birth place of Koha and the longest serving
> member of the Koha community. Back in 1999 when we were working on Koha,
> the idea that 12 years later we would be having to write an email like this
> never crossed our minds. It is with tremendous sadness that we must write
> this plea for help to you, the other members of the Koha community.
>
> The situation we find ourselves in, is that after over a year of battling
> against it, PTFS/Liblime have managed to have their application for a
> Trademark on Koha in New Zealand accepted. We now have 3 months to object,
> but to do so involves lawyers and money. We are a small semi rural Library
> in New Zealand and have no cash spare
> in our operational budget to afford this, but we do feel it is something we
> must fight.
>
> For the library that invented Koha to now have to have a legal battle to
> prevent a US company trademarking the word in NZ seems bizarre, butit is at
> this point that we find ourselves.
>
> So, we ask you, the users and developers of Koha, from the birth place of
> Koha, please if you can help in anyway, let us know.
>
> Background reading:
>
> - Code4Lib article <http://journal.code4lib.org/articles/1638>: How hard
> can it be : developing in Open Source [history of the development of Koha]
> by Joann Ransom and Chris Cormack.
> - Timeline <http://koha-community.org/about/history/> of Koha
> :development
> - Koha history visualization <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tl1a2VN_pec>
>
>
> Help us
> If you would like to help us fund legal costs please use the paypal donate
> button below.
>
>
>
>
> Otherwise, any discussion, public support and ideas on how to proceed would
> be gratefully received.
>
> Regards
>
>
> Jo.
>
> --
> Joann Ransom RLIANZA
> Head of Libraries,
> Horowhenua Library Trust.
>
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