MrNet has a non compliant opensource license

[Karsten M. Self]

on Mon, Oct 29, 2001 at 01:48:43AM +0000, phil hunt (philh at comuno.freeserve.co.uk) wrote:
> On Sunday 28 October 2001 10:43 pm, Karsten M. Self wrote:
> > > What can be done more to this effect?
> >
> > The "Open Source" trademark was not certified.
> >
> > Have you contacted the company?
> 
> If this has not already been done, I'd suggest a *polite* note
> sent to them pointing out their error and suggesting that they
> either refrain from calling it "open source" or change their
> license so it complies with the Open Source Definition.
> 
> It may be an honest mistake, and their is no point in accusing
> and annoying people unnecessarily.
> 
> > If their response is not considered sufficient, I'd submit the
> > usual:  a Slashdot story that makes clear that the company is
> > trying to free-ride the "OSI Open Source Certified Software®" mark,
> > that the true mark is as shown above, not "Open Source", and that
> > the company's claims fail the OSD on multiple points.
> 
> Indeed. But firstly, contact the company.

Agreed, strongly, all points.

WRT the /. suggestion:  while shoot first, ask questions later, isn't a
recommended approach, one thing that's made clear if it *does* in fact
occur on occasion is that the organizations which do attempt to
misrepresent themselves through their licensing positions are doing
themselves far more harm than good in the long run.  And the 'Net in
general isn't a sanitized environment in which one can trust all parties
to act with consideration and decorum.  Making the first move often
opens one up to considerable risk, in this case, the alleged actions of
MrNet.

Though some folks seem immunized against benefiting from such lessons.

Peace.

-- 
Karsten M. Self <kmself at ix.netcom.com>       http://kmself.home.netcom.com/
 What part of "Gestalt" don't you understand?             Home of the brave
  http://gestalt-system.sourceforge.net/                   Land of the free
   Free Dmitry! Boycott Adobe! Repeal the DMCA! http://www.freesklyarov.org
Geek for Hire                     http://kmself.home.netcom.com/resume.html
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