Re: [steering-discuss] Confused by our Trademark Policy ...

Hi guys,

On Wed, 2011-03-16 at 16:56 +0100, Florian Effenberger wrote:
> > general (and I think we do) does the TDF subline and the TDF trademark
> > need a specific, more restrictive trademark policy OR does the TM
> > already cover its usage?
>
> It is indeed a bit confusing. In the beginning, we talk about LibO and 
> TDF trademarks, but then we have this paragraph: "TDF Trademarks should 
> be used in their exact form, neither abbreviated nor combined with any 

        Right :-)

> I think Michael raised these concerns already and wanted to legally 
> check it. Michael, any results?

        Nope; and I couldn't share any such advice as you know :-) But I think
the points I raised were obvious enough even to an IANAL type such as
myself.

> Sorry for jumping in so late...

        Ditto, I've been buried.

        Personally - I would be well up for getting the trademark policy out in
its earlier form before we started to try to get the logo distinction
included.

        IMHO - we have everything we want to stop crazies pretending to be us
by clearly forbidding:

        "2. In any way that indicates a greater degree of association
            between you and TDF than actually exists".

        I would suggest that we remove the in-text reference to the Logo page;
and yet have a clear statement on the separate Logo page, and perhaps
add a FAQ type link at the bottom ("does using a TDF logo indicate an
association with the project?") that says something like:

        "Using a Logo with 'The Document Foundation' sub-line without being
officially recognised as part of TDF idicates a degree of association
that is closer than actually exists, and is therefore in breach of our
trademark guidelines". "Please use the non-TDF mark in its place in its
place etc. etc. ... "

        That is a helpful clarification I think.

        I'd like to recommend keeping the other bits until we have a foundation
and employed counsel that can advise us on this; but I would also like
to further advise that legal advice is deadly expensive, and usually
extremely vague - handing you the same risks back again; and we have
(perhaps) better things to spend our money on ;-)

        My feeling is also that we should fix the over-concern and distinction
of "trademarks" from other marks, and restore the original "Marks"
language that was a result of better advice.

        So - in short with a few cleans and I'm happy :-)

        HTH,

                Michael.

-- 
 michael.meeks@novell.com  <><, Pseudo Engineer, itinerant idiot


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