Glad you came 'round, Mike.  I would not suggest that they roll over and back down.  A name is a very important thing.  Try asking Coca-Cola to give up theirs.

In reading this news I was angry enough to the point of writing an open letter to LibLime and this forum stating my views and asking LibLime for an explanation of why they are trying to take legal posession of the name Koha.  I became especially after looking at their web site where I have so far found absolutely NO reference to HLT or where Koha came from.  Nor to the open source software community in libraries from which it came.  I decided not to send it.  Yet.  I don't want to cause problems, but I will if it's ok with the HLT folks.

I have very strong feelings about this, because I have my own project, Avanti.  I would feel very offended if a third party would hijack mine in this way and not give me any credit for what I have done.  This is a big, big thing.  

I have also watched from the sidelines Koha develop into what it is, so I know where it comes from.  I remember at ALA 2000 in Chicago when Tim O'Reilly graciously gave those of us with open source projects in libraries space in the O'Reilly booth to show off our work.  There were only a few of us back then and Koha wasn't on the radar yet.  LibLime is a Johnny-come-lately in this grizzled old person's mind.  I am so disappointed in LibLime that they would sink to something like this.

Peter Schlumpf
http://www.avantilibrarysystems.com


-----Original Message-----
>From: Mike Taylor <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Nov 22, 2011 1:39 PM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Plea for help from Horowhenua Library Trust to Koha Community
>
>On 22 November 2011 19:32, MJ Ray <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>> Mike Taylor <[log in to unmask]>
>>> So your best bet may be to shrug and let them have the old name for
>>> their proprietary fork.  Just come up with a new name for the open
>>> codebase, let the world know, and move on with doing more useful
>>> things -- spending what money you have on coders and cataloguers
>>> rather than lawyers.
>>
>> Two things which may not be widely known here:
>>
>> 1. HLT was the original commissioner and I believe they have been
>> using Koha continuously in delivering their library service since
>> then.  If they of all people are not allowed to share control of the
>> name, then basically no FOSS project name is safe for its users.
>> Ever.
>>
>> 2. "Koha" means akin to gift.  The irony of trying to trademark that
>> word in particular is mindboggling and should shame PTFS in the eyes
>> of everyone who likes sharing information - basically all of us who
>> are involved with libraries at some level, isn't it?
>
>Just for the record ...
>
>I find these arguments, and the similar ones that others have made,
>compelling.  So I withdraw my earlier suggestion of shrugging and
>letting LibLime have the name.  Sorry about that.
>
>-- Mike.