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Re: Bug#212895: Official Logo is not DFSG Free (with patch)



On Fri, 3 Oct 2003, Steve Langasek wrote:

> Of course it's legitimate for the Debian logo to be much more restricted
> than software or documentation.  But given that it's restricted, why
> would you want to include it in a package in Debian, given that we
> encourage people to freely redistribute and modify Debian?  Knowing that
> this is the case, have you included a prominent notice letting potential
> redistributors that any changes to the webmin package must be
> accompanied by removal of the logo?
>

But being able to make changes is an official use of Debian.  In fact its
Debians very raison d'etre.

> For that matter, the license on the official use logo states that it can
> only be used if official approval is given by *Debian* for the use.
> That means that individual Debian developers do *not* have any implicit
> right to decide to use the logo, even in their own packages, without the
> project's official approval.  The only permission DDs have in general is
> to use the logo in clothing.  How you could have concluded otherwise
> while at the same time pointing out that Merrill Lynch had a very
> restrictive set of rules governing how their trademarks are used by
> employees is beyond me.
>

For a start, we are not employees of Debian.  We are joint-owners.

> SPI holds very little intellectual property on Debian's behalf; but the
> items it does hold are all very valuable brand marks.  It's in the best
> interest of Debian's own name to protect these marks against
> unauthorized use, by either developers or other third parties.
>

The reason Merrill Lynch is so anal about their logo is because it
represents them.  In the wrong place it could mean millions of dollars (if
seen as an endorsement of some stock for instance.)  In this case we need
to think about what the Debian brand represents and whether its use in the
webmin package fullfills the aims of that brand.  I think it does.

-- 
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar@debian.org>
La Salle Debain - http://www.braincells.com/debian/



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