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Re: firefox -> iceweasel package is probably not legal



On Friday 08 December 2006 00:16, Steve Langasek wrote:
> On Thu, Dec 07, 2006 at 11:28:04AM +0000, MJ Ray wrote:
> > Sean Kellogg <skellogg@u.washington.edu> wrote:
> > > So, you propose that Firefox refers to both the code base and the
> > > browser?
> >
> > Not only that, but firefox (lowercase, not as in the trademark)
>
> While I agree with the conclusion that there's no great cause for concern
> here, TTBOMK trademarks are case-insensitive, at least in the US.

And while I believe there are several good and well explained reasons to be 
concerned, not least of which is one packager's decision to unnecessarily 
expose all Debian distributors and mirrors to litigation, I can say with 100% 
certainty that trademarks are case-insensitive in the US.  

In fact, trademarks are not even letter sensitive, in that a browser 
called "Firefoz" or "Lirefox" will likely be found to violate the trademark.  
See the on Sambuck's Coffee decision[1] from last year where a judget found 
infringement of the Starbuck's trademark by the name Sambuck's.

-Sean

[1]http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2005/12/01/financial/f132605S26.DTL 

-- 
Sean Kellogg
e: skellogg@u.washington.edu
w: http://blog.probonogeek.org/

So, let go
 ...Jump in
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