On Wed, Apr 18, 2007 at 11:26:11AM +0100, MJ Ray wrote: > Steve Langasek <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Hrm, there is a difference between *referencing* a trademark when > > criticizing the holder, and *using* the mark, in trade, in a way that > > reflects badly on Debian. [...]
> Two data points: > SJVN's use of the debian trademark when criticising the distribution is > fine (unlike the actual criticism, which is buggy). Heh, yes, exactly. > Businesses selling probably-sweatshop-sewn T-shirts (maybe made from > subsidised US cotton) reflect badly on debian, but are also permitted. > However, both are currently permitted. Er, businesses selling t-shirts using the official debian logo is *not* permitted. Currently, the manner in which this is being disallowed is suboptimal, but it's still not something that we *permit*. (Perhaps what you're suggesting is that t-shirt manufacturers don't have to get permission because we have a mark in the field of computers/software, not in the field of clothing; but if what's being sold is Debian-related clothing, it's still the Debian mark that's being used, and it is infringement that we have standing to prevent.) Further, it's up to *Debian* to decide what uses of the logo reflect badly on it and consequently should be disallowed because we don't wish to be associated with them. Your above statement includes an implicit value judgement about which sorts of activities Debian will or will not wish to be associated with, which may not be at all representative of the views of the project members at large. -- Steve Langasek Give me a lever long enough and a Free OS Debian Developer to set it on, and I can move the world. [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.debian.org/ -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]