On Mon, Mar 2, 2020 at 10:57 AM Dennis Roczek <dennisroc...@libreoffice.org> wrote:
> Hi Simon, > Am 02.03.2020 um 11:02 schrieb Simon Phipps: > > On Mon, Mar 2, 2020 at 4:32 AM Brett Cornwall <br...@i--b.com> wrote: > >> I believe that Canonical is related here because, like TDC, the proposal >> appears to be that a for-profit entity be given exclusive rights to a >> trademark to a supposed community-owned product. Like TDC, Canonical's >> founding idealized Shuttleworth's pessimism that free software could >> survive without a for-profit entity as its protector. >> > > That assertion about TDC is also incorrect. Far from the implication you > make, TDC is being granted only the necessary rights to act as TDF's agent > in the app stores. Nothing more. TDF still controls the overall LibreOffice > trademark, and TDF also licenses it to other entities in the ecosystem like > CIB, Collabora and the retailers of various clothing. The license is > exclusive *only* *in the app stores*, and that is because TDF will also > be acting against knock-off apps selling the brand in ways that reflect > poorly on LibreOffice. Again, the attempt to equate this to Canonical is > very unhelpful, although your parting shot is illuminating. > > But on the other hand you are also saying, that it is getting harder and > harder to install software (on properterian systems) without the app stores > and more over you do not have any choise on Windows S or iOS, which is > correct. From the vendors view it is even logical (earning money, keeping > the system secure, etc. etc.). > > So basical TDC is getting a monopoly on many system, hence the Cannoical > example is really perfect. > > I hope you understand that many in the community do not fear that these > "decisions" were made in good faith or might be correct at the moment, but > can lead to "bigger problems" in future (saying 10 or 20 years?). > I still disagree. TDC is getting temporary agency to act on TDF's behalf doing something TDF's board recognises it is very poor at executing. TDF could pass that agency to another entity at short notice any time. In fact, if things became any more constrained I would not feel comfortable hiring staff to work on them. Further, TDC is incorporating as a legal entity that has to act formally in the service of its community and has no shareholders so the motivation to create a post-trading surplus is absent. This is all nothing like Canonical where Mark was trying to prove he could create a profitable business in parallel with Ubuntu. S.
