MS Asking Makers of 'Windows' Software To Rename

An anonymous reader writes "Today WebWereld is running a story (http://www.webwereld.nl/nieuws/13347.phtml) on Microsoft's attempts to stop other software makers from using 'Windows' in their names. Several software makers that are listed on the Lindows-list (http://www.lindows.com/lindows_home_list.php) have received a letter from Microsoft's lawyers. Basically Microsoft asks them to stop using the word 'Windows.' Windows Commander and Windows Spy have changed name as the result. Christian Ghisler (of Windows Commander) changed the name into Total Commander and Sureshot changed the name of Windows Spy into Farsighter. Alexander Tchirkov of Windows Backup Wizard also received a letter from Microsoft, but he is not willing to change the name of his software, he tells WebWereld. 'I received a letter from attorneys Microsoft (SEED Intellectual Property Law Group) with the recommendation to change the program name into Backup Wizard for Windows(R).' Tchirkov says Windows is not a registered trademark in Russia."

Comments

Slashdotters shame on us

[$0.02]

For the years Microsoft had been naming its product with simple and pronoucanble names, like Windows, Office, Word, etc. After reading slashdot for a while, the company executives decided that the /. community was right and so the company will not longer use generic names. And now, for something completely different ... MSFT is naming its products: .NET, C#, J#. What's next - MS %^&-_-34?