New trademark approval policy

[David Nalley]

On Tue, Aug 2, 2011 at 4:58 PM, Pamela Chestek <pchestek at redhat.com> wrote:
> on 08/02/2011 01:53 AM David Nalley wrote:
>
> There's also OEM pre-loads, and virtual images or appliances with
> unmodified Fedora software, for which permission has been granted.
> These, at least according to my reading, can contain any combination
> of software which exists in Fedora's repositories, and can be
> generated in virtually any method that works.
>
> This reading is the result of bad drafting on the trademark guidelines (my
> bad).  The intention was that we will allow the use of unmodified software
> approved as an authentic "Fedora" product in ways that are analogous to
> creating a copy of a DVD, but just in a different distribution environment.
> It was not the intention that the rules allow anyone to create a new
> combination of software and call it "Fedora" without approval.  No one but
> Fedora Board should be deciding what collection of software may bear the
> brand "Fedora."
>
> If we need special spins for virt because the installation process causes
> problems that will reflect badly on Fedora, that's a Board decision too and
> would need to change the guidelines to reflect the decision.
>


Hi Pam,

Thanks for weighing in.
I have a series of questions for you based on your above email, and I
really am not trying to be pedantic (I know, I shouldn't have to
disclaim that, but.... :) ), but just trying to understand some of the
differences.

So should I read your intention as saying that the OEM and virt
sections should be read to only permit images/pre-loads of
environments distributed as LiveCDs? (and thus not the install DVDs)

If an image could be generated using something analogous to what could
be done with an install DVD, is that permissible? (without needing an
additional level of approval)

The install DVD (well really, Anaconda) permits the addition of
repositories at install time. So theoretically I could take an install
DVD (and iirc, this is automatically done with the Fedora netinstall
CD image) and add the official Fedora repositories, and from the
released media, install virtually any combination of Fedora software.
So would starting with the install DVD or netinstall CD and creating a
pre-load or appliance/virtual image of official software from using
the official repositories be permissible without additional levels of
approval?

Alternatively, I could take the install DVD and using only the
packages on the DVD and create an installation that I *think* is
identical to the installed pieces that some of our spins generate,
which ironically are required to seek trademark approval from the
Board.

Finally, does this message revoke Spot's message that the Cloud SIG
can generate and publish their own AMI for Amazon EC2, containing only
Fedora software, without seeking Board approval?

Thanks,

--David