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Python trademark at risk in Europe

pyfound.blogspot.ca

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Re: Python trademark at risk in Europe

#81

Post by takluyver »

timruffles wrote: post #76
VanL wrote: post #2

I (and probably several other) members of the board will be on this thread to answer any questions. Van Lindberg Chairman, Python Software Foundation Edit: I have been asked what sort of statements would be helpful. I can't tell you exactly what to say - it needs to be your statement, but we need to make it clear that when someone says "Python" in relation to software, or a "Python server," or with "Python experience…

EuroPython conference - Googling I get mentions back to 2001. I'm sure you could get in touch with the organisers for promo material etc http://mail.python.org/pipermail/europython/2001-November/00...

If conferences are useful, there's also EuroSciPy and PyCon UK, where even the two letters Py unambiguously refer to the Python language.

Re: Python trademark at risk in Europe

#83

Post by belorn »

VanL wrote: post #2

I (and probably several other) members of the board will be on this thread to answer any questions. Van Lindberg Chairman, Python Software Foundation Edit: I have been asked what sort of statements would be helpful. I can't tell you exactly what to say - it needs to be your statement, but we need to make it clear that when someone says "Python" in relation to software, or a "Python server," or with "Python experience…

Would not Google search, Wikipedia and Stackoverflow statistic be of some worth to show what the dominant usage of the word python is in the realm of software?

Re: Python trademark at risk in Europe

#85

Post by pilgrim689 »

Raz0rblade wrote: post #79

Python is from 1980 first public release 1998 So to a judge ask them the meaning of prior art. One cannt copyright what allready exists in the public domain, even if it was not copyrighted. You only need to proof you where earlier. Reminds me of apple-samsung and phone shapes, and then someone found an old startrek movie allready showing such devices.

The judge would tell you that "prior art" is irrelevant here. This isn't about patents or copyrights. They are filing for a trademark...

Re: Python trademark at risk in Europe

#87

Post by meaty »

They don't have a company registered in the UK under Python. Register a company called Python Language Limited and shorten it to Python in correspondence.

You can trade under that name, even if it's a trademark.

The same as you can call yourself Fairy Limited and not sell washing up liquid.

Re: Python trademark at risk in Europe

#88

Post by vespakoen »

There is a button on their facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/PythonCloud) called "Suggest a change" (freely translated that from what I actually see in dutch, so it might be different), It's next to the little info link below their "avatar".

What if we all suggest a unique name and they can pick a new one from something awesome one of us has suggested?

Re: Python trademark at risk in Europe

#89

Post by ScottBurson »

VanL wrote: post #33
avar wrote: post #25

It's unclear from this whether or not Python would have to change the name of the programming language if they didn't get the trademark, or whether this UK company would just have the right to call their products "Python" too. Early in the article it says: "There is a company in the UK that is trying to trademark the use of the term "Python" for all software, services, servers... pretty much anything having to do wit…

Our main point of contention is that they are claiming that the right to be the sole source of "Python" software, servers, and services. We have reached out to them to try to reach some accommodation (they can be "Python backup services," for example) but they are not willing to take us seriously.

It still isn't clear to me whether your purpose here is inclusive (you don't want to lose the right to use "Python" as a trademark) or exclusive (you don't want this company to be able to use "Python" for its server products). At first I thought the former, but a close reading of your post suggests it may be the latter. Please clarify.

If your purpose is exclusive, then I can't support you. There is an open source Common Lisp implementation, originally developed at CMU in the mid-1980s, whose compiler is called Python. It is still in use. I think a compiler and a language are close enough that you have no exclusive right to the name.

Re: Python trademark at risk in Europe

#90

Post by SoftwareMaven »

avar wrote: post #25

It's unclear from this whether or not Python would have to change the name of the programming language if they didn't get the trademark, or whether this UK company would just have the right to call their products "Python" too. Early in the article it says: "There is a company in the UK that is trying to trademark the use of the term "Python" for all software, services, servers... pretty much anything having to do wit…

That's not the way trademarks work. Trademarks cover one or more industries, so your snake is completely safe. In fact, if you wanted to make a car called the Python or a chair called the Python or just about anything else called the Python, you would be welcome to it (assuming somebody else hadn't trademarked that). Even in software, you could incorporate the word Python as long as it didn't cause confusion (for instance, making the game "Snake: a Young Python's Journey" would most likely be fine [note: IANAL]).

However, due to the "fight for it or lose it" nature, if this company was given the trademark, they would have no choice but to threaten legal action against the PSF and everybody who produces something with Python in the name: a very large group of people, products and companies.

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