[Python-Dev] License cleanup

[M.-A. Lemburg]

Fredrik Lundh wrote:
> 
> > The license doesn't say you can't use "Python", it sayes you
> > can't use it in a trademark sense.
> 
> quick check: which of these uses "Python" in a trademark
> sense, and thus violates the license:
> 
>     pythonware?  professional python services?  pythonworks?
>     programming python?  python training?  python powered?
>     the viper python implementation?  python imaging library?
>     wxpython?  pythonwin?  etc.
> 
> all of them?  none of them?

Using a word in a trademark sense usually simply means using it
in corporate relationships (at least that's how it works in Germany).
If you are a company and talk about, write about or otherwise use
the word in a commercial context then you are using the word in
a trademark sense.

There are several ways to declare a trademark, e.g. there are
word marks, logo marks, sound marks, color marks etc. (don't know if
these
are the right translations). A word mark, for example, refers
to a specific spelling of the word regardeless of the font, style
or color. Logo marks refer to a specific design including font,
style and color.

Note that a trademark owner can still give you permission to use
the mark in any decent way without paying fees or royalties. So
even if CNRI does own the mark, they could still make it usable
by others. In fact, if done right, this is a Good Thing.

The answer to your question depends on what kind mark CNRI
owns.

[There currently is a very strong movement in Germany against
people who are applying what they learned from domain grabbing to
trademarks. Prominent examples include "WWW" and "Webspace". Even
the color violet is trademarked (by a company producing chocolate)]

-- 
Marc-Andre Lemburg
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