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Microsoft Starts Legal Fight Over Lindows Name

actappan writes: "Whether or not Lindows is real, this article on CNET News.com indicates that Microsoft intends to sue them into oblivion. Looks like supression remains the best way to promote innovation." cyberlawyer adds: "Some of you may remember that MS originally had great difficulty obtaining a trademark for the generic term 'Windows' but was eventually able to pay off those who had filed letters of protest to the granting of the mark including Sun, Oracle, and Borland. As a trademark lawyer I (unhappily) have to admit that Lindows probably has a weak case. Of course it's never too late to bring a cancellation action based on genericide ;-)" CodeWheeney contributes a link to coverage at Yahoo, too.

13 of 670 comments (clear)

  1. Innovation by Carnage4Life · · Score: 5, Funny

    Looks like supression remains the best way to promote innovation.

    <tongue-in-cheek>
    There's nothing quite as innovative as an operating system with the sole goal of reimplementing APIs from other operating systems until it can run their binaries. :)
    </tongue-in-cheek>

  2. Lawsuits. by saintlupus · · Score: 3, Funny

    Ah, perfect. Don't change the name; just slap on the Aqua interface and ship it. This is the legal equivalent of a honeypot.

    --saint

  3. If not Lindows.. by FrankNputer · · Score: 4, Funny

    How about Windex?

    Oh, wait...damn...

  4. PC Mag hit it on the head by The-Pheon · · Score: 5, Funny
    according to a quote from a review on the lindows site.

    It's software that combines Linux and Windows without violating any trademark or copyright--although I bet Microsoft will sue at some point.

    Guess they were right!

  5. How you can fight back. by cibrPLUR · · Score: 5, Funny

    I say that we fight Microsoft by refering to all OS's as 'Windows.'

    Hopefully this will cause Microsoft to lose the trademark name 'Windows' because it will become generic from over usage.

    --

    -cibrPLUR

  6. Next up: Jesus to sue MS for rights to "XP" by Eryq · · Score: 5, Funny

    BETHLEHEM (AP): The Christian Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, announced plans to sue Microsoft for using the name "XP" for its new operating system.

    "The monogram of My Name, formed of the two first letters when written in Greek, "X" and "P" [Chi and Rho], has been in use for well over a thousand years in numerous countries. I am therefore insisting that Microsoft cease using "XP" on its products, as that is tantamount to Taking My Name In Vain."

    Added Christ, "I mean it. Don't make me come down there..."

    --
    I'm a bloodsucking fiend! Look at my outfit!
  7. Re:To me it's fair by abe+ferlman · · Score: 5, Funny

    They should change the name to "Bill Gates is a big fat idiot presents: Lindows" so that people won't get confused. You know, just to be sure.

    No really, maybe not that, but I think that this lawsuit is the best kind of publicity they could possibly get. They should capitalize on it by changing the name to something subtle that jabs at microsoft but still makes clear what it does. If only Sun was behind it- they could call it "Sunroof".

    Howzabout "windshield"? "Glass Joe" (Include MAME with punchout standard :))

    Wait, I've got it. "MirrorGlass" Have a picture of a mirror on the box, with the reflection of a window tinted with microsoft colors in the background, and a penguin waving in. How cute is that?

    Mr. Robertson, this idea is mine but you may take it and run with it. Hell, I'll sign papers and even let you take it proprietary. I'd love to see that image on a shelf and have some clerk at Compusa have to explain what it means to a customer. "Well, that's tux the penguin, and he's looking through some windows at you, but they're not *microsoft* windows, because microsoft sued the company, so they're just regular old windows. Well, not really since Windows(TM) is a registered trademark of Microsoft. But anyway, it runs programs built for windows, even though it's not Windows(TM)"

    --
    microsoftword.mp3 - it doesn't care that they're not words...
  8. Re:To me it's fair by MousePotato · · Score: 5, Funny

    allright then I hereby apply for the folloing *indows variants;
    Aintdows - no this is clearly not m$
    Bindows - all your /bin are belong...
    Dindows - gungas client
    Eindows - scary physics edition
    Findows - Sharks gotta have an OS too
    Gindows - Shaken, stirred...
    Hindows - new religious sect
    Jindows - straight up moonshine version 1.0
    Kindows - the deep south hillbilly OS
    Lindows - err.. oops thats taken
    Mindows - Ho Chi's apple based abicus
    Nindows - Trent Reznor enhanced edition
    Oindows - complete with matzah balls
    Pindows - an OS so simple your PHB could use
    Qindows - soo bloated you need five beowulf clusters just to boot
    Rimdows - the ass lickers edition
    Sindows - the ultimate pr0n OS(aka Pr0ndows)
    Tindows - the only os without a shrinkrap
    Unindows - what you really want to rm -rf
    Vindows - aint this one taken too?
    W.. ahh f them
    Xindows ...hrm...
    Yindows - Fengshue cosmic edition
    Zindows - a narcoleptic edition (formerly known as Win95)

    yuk yuk...

  9. alternate name? by LinuxParanoid · · Score: 4, Funny

    How about calling it "Defenestration"?

    Nah, too subtle.

    --LP

  10. Re:To me it's fair by sg_oneill · · Score: 3, Funny

    7. Linux Macro Virus SDK

    Oh well.. i thought it was funny.

    --
    Excuse the Unicode crap in my posts. That's an apostrophe, and slashdot is busted.
  11. Re:Microsoft's Claim is Legit (IAAL) by suss · · Score: 5, Funny

    The right decision would be to invalidate Microsoft's Windows trademark because it's a common word.

    Well... Apple is a pretty common word too, but i don't see that one being invalidated either.

    No, they should rename it to "I Can't Believe It's Not Windows!"

  12. Re:Microsoft's Claim is Legit (IAAL) by rtscts · · Score: 3, Funny
    I Can't Believe It's Not Windows
    Thats what my boss put in his report after I put Linux on a server. If course 'off-the-record' he actually said "what the fuck is this shit?"
  13. Re:Microsoft's Claim is Legit (IAAL) by Roblimo · · Score: 3, Funny

    Heroin was also a Bayer brand name once upon a time.

    Now anyone can use it...

    - Robin