So, HLT says:
". The Library Trust has never stopped any Koha user or developer or
vendor from carrying out their business. Our track record over the last
12 years of releasing the Koha code and supporting the Koha community to
go about its business unimpeded is exemplary and we have no intention of
ever changing that approach."
And I believe and agree with them on that. But that press release
doesn't say whether the Trust wants to maintain the right to legally
stop someone from calling something "Koha" that isn't Koha at all. If
the Trust and the Community has no desire to do that and will put it in
writing, then I'm sure that would satisfy LibLime. If the
Trust/Community do want to maintain that right, then I bet LibLime is
going to want something in writing saying that LibLime at least can call
their software "Koha" forever. I'm not LibLime, I'm just
guessing/reading between the lines of course. Hopefully something can be
worked out.
But I think it's worth drawing the community's attention to this issue.
Whether it's important that the Trust have the right to legally stop
someone from calling something "Koha" that isn't Koha (the trademark
owner is ultimately going to be the one that has the legal power to
decide what is "really" Koha or not. Which is what, i'm confident, has
LibLime worried, since some parts of the Koha community have already
accused LibLime of calling something "Koha" that is not.)
On 11/28/2011 12:06 PM, Chris Cormack wrote:
On 29 November 2011 05:05, Jonathan Rochkind<rochk...@jhu.edu> wrote:
"hold the trademark in trust and not enforce it against any individual,
organization, or company who chooses to promote services around Koha in New
Zealand."
Well, the point of having a trademark at all is generally to enforce it
against people who are calling something that is _not_ Koha "Koha."
Since LibLime is accused by the community of doing exactly that, that is
precisely what they are worried about, and want to make sure they can call
whatever they want Koha, regardless of whether the Koha Foundation or Koha
community thinks it is Koha. And just to make it not look quite so bald,
they say that not only LibLime, but _everyone_ should be able to call
whatever they want "Koha" regardless of whether the community or foundation
believes it is Koha.
It is not that surprising that this would not be acceptable to the Koha
community.
http://koha-community.org/update-2/
Chris
