How does it affect user groups Re: [SGVLUG] Linux Trade mark ...

[Martin Bähr]

On Sun, Aug 28, 2005 at 04:18:49AM -0700, David Lawyer wrote:
> I'm not even sure that "Linux" is a trademark anymore since it's also
> become a word in the English language. 

and the meaning of that word is?

> It's legal for a name to escape from trademark status and I think that
> "Unix" may have escaped but it hasn't been tested in court. 

to escape trademark status i think there must actually be a quantifiable
use of the word that fits the category but does not describe the actual
product.

until linux is used to destcibe operating system kernels that are not
linux, the trademark status should hold. it will loose it when all unix
systems are refered to as linux systems, but i think it is more likely
that those systems die out before.

as for unix, i agree, however, as long as microsoft does not get laughed
out of court for trying to claim a trademark on the word windows, people
will have a tough time convincing the courts that unix or linux have
lost their trademark status.

greetings, martin.
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