Ben Reser wrote:
IMO : the code source is GPL, so you can use it, fork it sell it, etc.. using the terms of the GPL, which are : you have to display the authors of the program and clearly indicate the changes that you made. Now, what Mandrakesoft prevents you is using the "Mandrakesoft" trademark as advertisement or promotion to commercialise their product. This is not the same thing : on one hand, the GPL ask you to make a notice of the authors when you use their intellectual work, and this, Mandrakesoft cannot prevent you to do it, because they would prevent you to fullfill the terms of the GPL, thus they would break the GPL themselves. On the other hand, the GPL does not grant you the right to use the reputation of a trade mark. In this latter case, this is not the GPL which applies, but the laws on trade marks.e) On the license page which I've already provided the URL to several times above... you say that if I decide to as a VAR sell MNF to my clients that I must conform "to all of MandrakeSoft's intellectual rights and trademark protections listed in the product (this includes removing MandrakeSoft logos & trademarks from the product)." This seems to be a catch 22.The GPL requires you to display an appropriate copyright, while it is not clear in this, I would take that to mean that I must display a Mandrake copyright notice on the software Mandrake wrote. Additionally it requires that if it is an interactive program that I display an appropriate copyright notice if the program displays that. Since Mandrakesoft would obviously lay trademark rights to it's own name, how can I possibly comply?
My 2c understanding.
Eric
