Trademarks in ISV packages.

[Stephen John Smoogen]

On Mon, Aug 4, 2008 at 11:22 AM, Paul W. Frields <stickster at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Fri, 2008-08-01 at 16:33 -0600, Stephen John Smoogen wrote:
>> We just set up our own zimbra system here (sadly not with rpms) and I
>> noticed that the default layout of the free version has several Yahoo
>> trademarks on the screen. Will this cause problems with licensing or
>> packaging?
>
> This is definitely something the packagers will have to look into.
> There are other packages in Fedora where our ability to retool the
> package may be limited by a trademark policy.  Typically that's not a
> blocker issue, because it doesn't infringe on the right to modify and
> redistribute -- only to do so while still using someone's trademarks.
> As long as Yahoo!'s policy operates similarly we can live with it
> (though grudgingly).
>

Well the big issue I can see is that the package is going to need some
sort of LICENSE for trademarks to make sure that people realize that
something is a trademark, and it can only be used for X,Y,Z things (eg
promoting the Zimbra software but not say someones business, etc
etc.).


-- 
Stephen J Smoogen. -- BSD/GNU/Linux
How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed
in a naughty world. = Shakespeare. "The Merchant of Venice"