This is not legal advice. No lawyer-client relationship is established. etc
etc
From: Steve Langasek <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: debian-devel@lists.debian.org, debian-legal@lists.debian.org
Subject: Re: Debian trademark [was: Debian GNU/w32, may ready to be
started?]
Date: Mon, 3 Dec 2001 16:36:36 -0600
On Mon, Dec 03, 2001 at 03:43:09PM -0500, Dale Scheetz wrote:
> While I agree with what you say, as it has already been mentioned GNU is
> not a trademark.
Granted. I assumed that a name as prominent as 'GNU' would have been
trademarked, but it seems I was mistaken.
Just because a mark/name has not been registered does not mean it is not a
trademark. In most common-law countries (e.g., U.S., Canada, U.K.),
trademark rights are available without registration where a name has been
used by a trader in association with its (or its licensee's) wares and
services to distinguish them from those of others. Registration simply
provides more rights.
[snip]
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