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You might also contact the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) to see if they might be willing/able to help: https://www.eff.org/pages/legal-assistance -Shaun On 11/22/11 9:10 AM, Jon Gorman wrote: > 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. >> -- Shaun D. Ellis Digital Library Interface Developer Firestone Library, Princeton University voice: 609.258.1698 | [log in to unmask]