Re: Free Debian logos?

[Brian Thomas Sniffen <bts@alum.mit.edu>]

Josh Triplett <josh.trip@verizon.net> writes:

> Brian Thomas Sniffen wrote:
>> We allow others to specify that if their work is modified, the
>> modifier must change the name.  We try to narrowly tailor such clauses
>> when they're proposed, but we do allow it.  The logo is Debian's name
>> -- just not in English.   It represents Debian just as much as the
>> word "Debian" does.  So even by a copyright license, we'd allow others
>> to insist that their names or logos are changed.
>
> Insisting that the top-level name of your product be changed is one
> thing. Insisting that modifiers hunt down every reference to a logo and
> replace it is quite another.  (Also, note the difference between the
> requirement to change a project name, which is free, and the requirement
> to change a file name, which is not.  Recall the LPPL discussions.)

I do recall that distinction, but logos are much more like product
names than file names.  A requirement to hunt down every occurrence of
"GNU" in the emacs source and change it would be exceptionally
onerous.  Sure, you can just replace the text -- but you also have to
hunt down the pictures of bearded ungulates with the word "gnu" next
to them.  Since we already let authors require that pictures of words
are removed, I don't think it's much of a stretch to let authors
require that other name-like pictures -- that is, logos -- be removed.

-Brian

-- 
Brian Sniffen                                       bts@alum.mit.edu