On Mon, Dec 5, 2011 at 5:18 PM, Erik Hetzner <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> It was my intention only to suggest that trademark issues were
> something that one needs to pay attention to, not that the Koha
> community had not paid attention to trademark issues.

Additionally, in the case of trademark in particular, it's ABSOLUTELY
ESSENTIAL that once you find out about some ratbags, you begin to
apply your attention with substantial vigor -- as it sounds like Koha
has. Trademarks must be actively used and defended to remain valid.

This can be hard for open-source projects, because defending
trademarks involves lawyers and costs money.

Not allowing trademarks and patents for FOSS is complex if they're
allowed for software at all -- should someone reading a patent and
providing a free implementation invalidate that patent? That's the
exact opposite intent of patents. (Note: I think software patents
should not exist at all.)

If FOSS projects are immune to trademark suits, should I be able to
start a competing open-source catalog and call it Koha or Evergreen?
That seems like an undesirable outcome.

-n