discuss: Request for wxWindows License approval

[Lewis Collard]

Julian Smart r sez:
> Hi,
>
> Do you think you could clarify? I don't understand what you're
> referring to here... perhaps the fact that the name has
> 'Windows' in it? It's been 10 years and MS hasn't sued yet,
> and the Lindows case didn't go well for them. I certainly
> didn't intend to abuse the name, and in fact I was using
> Windows in a generic (windowing) sense (it's only the first
> 'w' that refers to the MS product :-))

Indeed.

A basic principle of trademark law is that a trademark only
applies to products, not to use of the word itself (otherwise
Microsoft would be sending cease & desist orders to countless
glass manufacturers...). "Lindows" got sued (fortunately)
because they were writing a (supposedly) plug-in replacement
for Microsoft Windows, and the name was misleading both
Microsoft's and "Lindows"'s customers. The wxWindows people are
not going to get a C&D order because they're doing something
entirely different to operating systems.

Besides, the trademark issue has (IMHO) f/a to do with whether
this license should be certified by OSI or not (and it should
be).

> Julian

lewis
-- 
Lewis Collard <lewis at zquack.net>
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