Re: Bug#265352: grub: Debian splash images for Grub
Josh Triplett wrote:
> First of all, even if it is the case that we can't offer a DFSG-free
> license for the logo without allowing it to become "diluted", then that
> does not exempt it from being DFSG-free. I believe the suggested
> licenses were very clearly non-DFSG-free.
>
> Second, I'm not suggesting that we put no restrictions on the logo. I
> would suggest that we require people who copy, modify, or distribute the
> logo to acknowledge the origin of the logo, and not misrepresent it as
> being written by them.
The point in a traditional common-law trademark is that we don't want
someone to go out and start "Debian Computing, Inc.", use the Debian
open-use logo, and proceed to run a competing organization.
A trademark license *has* to prohibit such things. Prohibiting
misrepresenting the origin of the *logo* doesn't suffice. We have to
require that the logo, and anything "confusingly similar", is not used to
identify things which aren't Debian.
We can (and should), however,
* allow it (and the word "Debian") to be used in any manner which identifies
Debian, the project or the distribution (including by "Debian-based"
distributions, Debian redistributors, Debian developers, Debian promoters,
Debian haters, Linux collages, etc.). This is in contrast to normal
corporate trademark licenses.
* allow it to be used in any manner which isn't identifying anything
(abstract art, etc.)
* allow modified versions which are not "confusingly similar" to be used for
any purpose whatsoever
> We should probably also include a copyleft. Such
> restrictions would be DFSG-free, and probably GPL-compatible for that
> matter. I also believe such a restriction, if actually enforced, ought
> to be sufficient to maintain a trademark. (IANAL, hence "ought to be".)
IANAL but I think it isn't from what I know about trademarks. Trademarks
are very old-fashioned things.
> Third, if we want a logo with a restrictive license, there is always the
> Official Use logo. (I dislike the idea that any of Debian's logos would
> be non-DFSG-free, however.)
>
> - Josh Triplett
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