Linus Torvalds has been called on to help Australia’s peak Linux association in a battle to stop local companies from trying to trademark the word “Linux.”
Torvalds steps into Linux trademark fight
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Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
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Yeah, but no one on the planet is named “Linux”, and certainly not anyone in Australia. The analogy has no merit.
Maybe by being “forced” (Linus) to “…to prove his (Linus) right to trademark the term in Australia…” the debate over Linux creation/origin will be settled once and for all. A debate which I don’t think was clarified to everyones satisfaction a couple of months ago when it made the US round.
But regardless, I don’t think “geeks
“, should be dragged into politics and especially courts, especially when their talents would be better utilized doing what they do best… think/program. Leave the courts and politics to the wannabe geeks who couldn’t pass Programming Languages 101.
The biggest threat to Linux(TM) isn’t some company in Australia it is the whole god damn OSS commuinty. The name has been abused and infriged upon in so many ways by so many diffrent organizations and people that it’s a mystery why people still associates it with computers. It is even debatable if “The Kernel” can be called Linux.
It might be better if somone registerd it so that noone would use it. How about these for a change:
Instead of Linux(TM):…
…GNU, a free UNIX alternative.
…OSS Distribution, a collection of OSS packages prepared for easy deploymeny.
…the OSS Movement.
…Linux: a high quality source code collection for your kernel development.
…bzImage: the system kernel.
…GNOME: a complete desktop sollution for your POSIX OS.
Ok, I’m gonna write the rest of this post in english. Because I don’t talk/write in english natively (don’t want to do any spelling/typing errors), mmmkay? To bad if you typingmofo’s can’t understand it….
Jag hoppas verkligen Linus spöar skiten ur det där bolaget. Är så trött på ohederliga människor/företag som vill sko sig på andra på det här viset. Idioter :/
–Vecc
To bad if you typingmofo’s can’t understand it….
Jeg kan naesten forstaa det. Vil du godt oversaette det til mit sprog (Spansk 🙂 ?
Instead of Linux(TM):…
…GNU, a free UNIX alternative.
…OSS Distribution, a collection of OSS packages prepared for easy deploymeny.
…the OSS Movement.
…Linux: a high quality source code collection for your kernel development.
…bzImage: the system kernel.
…GNOME: a complete desktop sollution for your POSIX OS.
A good idea, but two minor points of contention:
1.) While GNU does want (and rightfully so) to see their name associated with the operating system surrounding Linux, I’m pretty sure they’re adament about the schism between Free Software and Open Source Software. The OSI and the FSF have somewhat different ideals.
2.) Specifying the components of GNOME->XFree86->GNU->Linux/bzImage is great for nerd sites like this one, but try explaining to a secretary, a line worker, or a mechanic why they should call software that runs that infernal machine by four separate names. The buying public doesn’t really care all that much about philosophy underlying technology. There’s a myriad of individually important and prolific technologies behind OS X and Windows, but users can and do unilaterally call them “Windows” and “OS X” in converstation, that’s important in the same way.
In the US, there are two senators elected per state, and I’d bet money that a large portion of the people on the street can’t name them, much less who they ran against in the last election, yet I’m sure they’ve heard of George W. Bush, John Kerry, Al Gore, Bill Clinton, and Bob Dole. Why? Simply because there’s only one president, less extra information to distract their attention. Linux already has a head-start in the household name department, but divying up the component names now would shatter that.
Who knew a typo could start such a thread? HA! I like to type as my thoughts come out. I have some issues with people that publicly correct me. I know they are trying to show off their mad English skills, or perhaps boost some ego. But in the end they end up looking like an ass in the end for it. English majors are mostly (In my opinion) anal retentive not only about English, but everything else in their lives. Perhaps they lack control over most situations they are involved with like home life, work, and appearance. So it comes out in situations where they are confident what they know is true, or only true because the teacher said it was true. Then jump up on a soapbox to point out my faults to somehow deaden the blow of their sorry reality. Lets take a look at art for a second. All art can be criticized in different ways. Different people have different views of how good the art is. But when it comes down to it you know what message the art is trying the get across. The same applies to words, spoken or written. It does not matter if they are jumbled up. As long as the point gets across. Remember that dialect is what helps define us as who we are. Just me 2 cents.