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FWIW, the discussion on hackernews http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3264378 On Nov 21, 2011, at 4:51 PM, Joann Ransom 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.