Re: Openoffice is being sold on ebay

2013-12-01 Thread Rob Weir
On Fri, Nov 29, 2013 at 1:51 PM, Donald Whytock dwhyt...@gmail.com wrote:
 On Fri, Nov 29, 2013 at 12:32 PM, Regina Henschel
 rb.hensc...@t-online.dewrote:

 But I'm concerned about the way the product is shown. For example in
 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Microsoft-Office-Word-Excel-
 Compatible-Open-Office-Professional-Edition-2013/281137965681
 Either it is not our OpenOffice, then it may not named so, or it is our
 OpenOffice, then Apache and trade mark is missing.

 Or this http://www.ebay.com/itm/Open-Office-Microsoft-Word-Excel-
 2007-2010-Compatible-Pro-Professional-Software/150935048983
 From content is is likely an OpenOffice.org 3.4.1, but the box says MT
 Software Solutions OpenOffice Suite. It gives the impression, that the
 application is developed by MT Software Solution.


 I seem to recall from the handoff from Oracle that OpenOffice isn't an
 Apache trademark...that we have Apache OpenOffice now, and that
 OpenOffice.org came with the license, but we didn't receive OpenOffice
 because it was being used in too many different countries by too many
 different people.

 So as long as they're not actually using Apache trademarks (including the
 gulls, the feather, etc.) I suppose they can call it whatever they want,
 even if it's just a hello world VBscript inside.


No one can use a a name that confusingly similar to our trademarks.
Confusion is not limited to literal identity with our trademark.  For
example, Apache Open Office (with a space) or OpenOffice (without
the Apache part),  if used in the context of office productivity
software, could be a problem.  So our claiming of Apache OpenOffice
essentially subsumes OpenOffice and similar variants.

As far as eBay goes, if they are selling Apache OpenOffice and calling
it OpenOffice then this might be covered under the doctrine of
nominative use [1].

I think it is useful to consider these cases:

1) Someone sells OpenOffice and calls it OpenOffice.  This is probably
covered by nominative use

2) Someone sells something other than OpenOffice but calls it
OpenOffice.  This could be trademark abuse

3) Someone sells OpenOffice but calls it something else.  For example,
NeoOffice, BrOffice, Symphony, LibreOffice, etc., did this.

Note that there are other possible issues, unrelated to trademarks.
For example, if someone takes OpenOffice and loads it up with malware
and offers it for download, then this might run afoul of consumer
protection laws.  And if someone takes OpenOffice and claims that it
is Microsoft Office then this may violate Microsoft's trademarks and
also constitute consumer fraud.   I've seen both of these kinds of
things happen.  They are very annoying, but if they are not misuses of
our trademarks then there is little we can do on our side.

One solution here is to develop a redistributors code of conduct and
feature on our website such distributors that agree to these terms.
The idea would be to change the dynamic a bit by actively encouraging
legitimate distributors.  This has been discussed on the list before
but never was brought to completion.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nominative_use

Regards,

-Rob

 Don - not a lawyer

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Re: Openoffice is being sold on ebay

2013-11-29 Thread Donald Whytock
Hi Luis...

Thank you for your concern.  However, since Apache OpenOffice is free to
distribute and re-distribute, it's considered legal to sell it on Ebay,
inasmuch as it's a sale of a CD/DVD that happens to have AOO on it.

Please note that Apache does not endorse or guarantee any copy of AOO not
downloaded from an AOO site.

Don

On Thu, Nov 28, 2013 at 2:32 AM, Jorg Schmidt joe...@j-m-schmidt.de wrote:

 Hello,

  -Original Message-
  From: luis e [mailto:didakti...@hotmail.com]
  Sent: Thursday, November 28, 2013 1:35 AM
  To: dev@openoffice.apache.org
  Subject: Openoffice is being sold on ebay
 
  To whom it may concern:
 
  I found out that there are sellers in ebay selling CDs with
  Openoffice. You can see some examples here:
 
  http://m.ebay.com/itm/251386841813?nav=SEARCHsbk=1
 
  http://m.ebay.com/itm/251388556478?nav=SEARCHsbk=1
 
  I will try to contact ebay to let them know about this issue.


 And what problem do you see?

 It's very welcome if OpenOffice is sold, because thereby it becomes
 widespread.

 See the arguments in:
 http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/selling.html.en


 Greetings,
 Jorg


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Re: Openoffice is being sold on ebay

2013-11-29 Thread Jörg Schmidt
Hello, 

 From: dwhyt...@gmail.com [mailto:dwhyt...@gmail.com] On 

 Please note that Apache does not endorse or guarantee any 
 copy of AOO not
 downloaded from an AOO site.

Is not it better to say that in general there is no guarantee it, no matter 
where
the download comes from? (Or do I misunderstand your statement?)

See point 7 in:
http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.html


Greetings,
Jörg


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Re: Openoffice is being sold on ebay

2013-11-29 Thread Fernando Cassia
On Wed, Nov 27, 2013 at 9:34 PM, luis e didakti...@hotmail.com wrote:

 I will try to contact ebay to let them know about this issue.

 Regards


And this is wrong because?

Even if it were a GPL license piece of software (it itsn't) it's perfectly
fine to sell open source software.
http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/selling.html

FC

-- 
During times of Universal Deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary
act
Durante épocas de Engaño Universal, decir la verdad se convierte en un Acto
Revolucionario
- George Orwell


Re: Openoffice is being sold on ebay

2013-11-29 Thread Donald Whytock
On Fri, Nov 29, 2013 at 10:32 AM, Jörg Schmidt joe...@j-m-schmidt.dewrote:

 Hello,

  From: dwhyt...@gmail.com [mailto:dwhyt...@gmail.com] On

  Please note that Apache does not endorse or guarantee any
  copy of AOO not
  downloaded from an AOO site.

 Is not it better to say that in general there is no guarantee it, no
 matter where
 the download comes from? (Or do I misunderstand your statement?)

 See point 7 in:
 http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.html


We don't warrant AOO in any case...we provide it as-is.  However,  we can
state that binaries people download from AOO sites are built from AOO
source and don't contain anything else; we can't guarantee that for copies
from any place else.

Don


Re: Openoffice is being sold on ebay

2013-11-29 Thread Jörg Schmidt
   From: dwhyt...@gmail.com [mailto:dwhyt...@gmail.com] On
 
   Please note that Apache does not endorse or guarantee any
   copy of AOO not
   downloaded from an AOO site.
 
  Is not it better to say that in general there is no guarantee it, no
  matter where
  the download comes from? (Or do I misunderstand your statement?)
 
  See point 7 in:
  http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.html
 
 
 We don't warrant AOO in any case...we provide it as-is.  
 However,  we can
 state that binaries people download from AOO sites are built from AOO
 source and don't contain anything else; we can't guarantee 
 that for copies
 from any place else.

Possible. But why should we do that _explicitly_?

If, this point really matter then he should be in the license, it is, however,
only marginally important, we should not especially mention it because to
guarantee also includes a legal aspect.

A legally effective promise we can not keep, is rather bad for our reputation, 
so
it is better to promise less and deliver more than to promise more and keep 
less.

No, no misunderstanding, I'm sure the binaries coming from the Apache pages, 
99.9%
sure are (likely to 99.9 ...) but not 100%, and why should we do so as if 
our
server are invulnerable?


Greetings,
Jörg


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Re: Openoffice is being sold on ebay

2013-11-29 Thread Donald Whytock
On Fri, Nov 29, 2013 at 11:13 AM, Jörg Schmidt joe...@j-m-schmidt.dewrote:

  We don't warrant AOO in any case...we provide it as-is.
  However,  we can
  state that binaries people download from AOO sites are built from AOO
  source and don't contain anything else; we can't guarantee
  that for copies
  from any place else.

 Possible. But why should we do that _explicitly_?

 If, this point really matter then he should be in the license, it is,
 however,
 only marginally important, we should not especially mention it because to
 guarantee also includes a legal aspect.

 A legally effective promise we can not keep, is rather bad for our
 reputation, so
 it is better to promise less and deliver more than to promise more and
 keep less.

 No, no misunderstanding, I'm sure the binaries coming from the Apache
 pages, 99.9%
 sure are (likely to 99.9 ...) but not 100%, and why should we do so as
 if our
 server are invulnerable?


We make that statement on kind of a regular basis.  There are people who
email the list, either directly or through the web form, saying, AOO
installed a toolbar!, AOO installed bloatware!, AOO installed a
virus!, etc.  Our routine answer to this is that, no, AOO downloaded from
AOO sites doesn't install any of those things; if it did, they didn't get
it from us.

Don


Re: Openoffice is being sold on ebay

2013-11-29 Thread Regina Henschel

Hi,

Jorg Schmidt schrieb:

Hello,


-Original Message-
From: luis e [mailto:didakti...@hotmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, November 28, 2013 1:35 AM
To: dev@openoffice.apache.org
Subject: Openoffice is being sold on ebay

To whom it may concern:

I found out that there are sellers in ebay selling CDs with
Openoffice. You can see some examples here:

http://m.ebay.com/itm/251386841813?nav=SEARCHsbk=1

http://m.ebay.com/itm/251388556478?nav=SEARCHsbk=1

I will try to contact ebay to let them know about this issue.



And what problem do you see?

It's very welcome if OpenOffice is sold, because thereby it becomes widespread.

See the arguments in:
http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/selling.html.en



But I'm concerned about the way the product is shown. For example in 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Microsoft-Office-Word-Excel-Compatible-Open-Office-Professional-Edition-2013/281137965681
Either it is not our OpenOffice, then it may not named so, or it is our 
OpenOffice, then Apache and trade mark is missing.


Or this 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Open-Office-Microsoft-Word-Excel-2007-2010-Compatible-Pro-Professional-Software/150935048983
From content is is likely an OpenOffice.org 3.4.1, but the box says MT 
Software Solutions OpenOffice Suite. It gives the impression, that the 
application is developed by MT Software Solution.


Kind regards
Regina

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Re: Openoffice is being sold on ebay

2013-11-29 Thread Donald Whytock
On Fri, Nov 29, 2013 at 12:32 PM, Regina Henschel
rb.hensc...@t-online.dewrote:

 But I'm concerned about the way the product is shown. For example in
 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Microsoft-Office-Word-Excel-
 Compatible-Open-Office-Professional-Edition-2013/281137965681
 Either it is not our OpenOffice, then it may not named so, or it is our
 OpenOffice, then Apache and trade mark is missing.

 Or this http://www.ebay.com/itm/Open-Office-Microsoft-Word-Excel-
 2007-2010-Compatible-Pro-Professional-Software/150935048983
 From content is is likely an OpenOffice.org 3.4.1, but the box says MT
 Software Solutions OpenOffice Suite. It gives the impression, that the
 application is developed by MT Software Solution.


I seem to recall from the handoff from Oracle that OpenOffice isn't an
Apache trademark...that we have Apache OpenOffice now, and that
OpenOffice.org came with the license, but we didn't receive OpenOffice
because it was being used in too many different countries by too many
different people.

So as long as they're not actually using Apache trademarks (including the
gulls, the feather, etc.) I suppose they can call it whatever they want,
even if it's just a hello world VBscript inside.

Don - not a lawyer


Re: Openoffice is being sold on ebay

2013-11-29 Thread Jörg Schmidt
 

 -Original Message-
 From: Donald Whytock [mailto:dwhyt...@gmail.com] 

 Our routine answer to this is that, no, AOO 
 downloaded from
 AOO sites doesn't install any of those things; if it did, 
 they didn't get
 it from us.

And *this* response is OK, *because* there is nothing of guarantee, that's the
point. 

I can not imagine that there is no difference in the U.S. between the statements
made to me: I ??promise and I guarantee.


Greetings,
Jörg


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Openoffice is being sold on ebay

2013-11-27 Thread luis e
To whom it may concern:

I found out that there are sellers in ebay selling CDs with Openoffice. You can 
see some examples here:

http://m.ebay.com/itm/251386841813?nav=SEARCHsbk=1

http://m.ebay.com/itm/251388556478?nav=SEARCHsbk=1

I will try to contact ebay to let them know about this issue.

Regards

luis e


Openoffice is being sold on ebay

2013-11-27 Thread luis e
To whom it may concern:

I found out that there are sellers in ebay selling CDs with Openoffice. You can 
see some examples here:

http://m.ebay.com/itm/251386841813?nav=SEARCHsbk=1

http://m.ebay.com/itm/251388556478?nav=SEARCHsbk=1

I will try to contact ebay to let them know about this issue.

Regards

luis e


Re: Openoffice is being sold on ebay

2013-11-27 Thread Andrew Douglas Pitonyak


I thought it was fine for someone to sell a disc with OO installed.

I think that the seller is overstating the compatibility, however.

On 11/27/2013 07:34 PM, luis e wrote:

To whom it may concern:

I found out that there are sellers in ebay selling CDs with Openoffice. You can 
see some examples here:

http://m.ebay.com/itm/251386841813?nav=SEARCHsbk=1

http://m.ebay.com/itm/251388556478?nav=SEARCHsbk=1

I will try to contact ebay to let them know about this issue.

Regards

luis e



--
Andrew Pitonyak
My Macro Document: http://www.pitonyak.org/AndrewMacro.odt
Info:  http://www.pitonyak.org/oo.php


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Re: Openoffice is being sold on ebay

2013-11-27 Thread Jorg Schmidt
Hello, 

 -Original Message-
 From: luis e [mailto:didakti...@hotmail.com] 
 Sent: Thursday, November 28, 2013 1:35 AM
 To: dev@openoffice.apache.org
 Subject: Openoffice is being sold on ebay
 
 To whom it may concern:
 
 I found out that there are sellers in ebay selling CDs with 
 Openoffice. You can see some examples here:
 
 http://m.ebay.com/itm/251386841813?nav=SEARCHsbk=1
 
 http://m.ebay.com/itm/251388556478?nav=SEARCHsbk=1
 
 I will try to contact ebay to let them know about this issue.


And what problem do you see?

It's very welcome if OpenOffice is sold, because thereby it becomes widespread.

See the arguments in:
http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/selling.html.en


Greetings,
Jorg


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