Slashdot Mirror
Network Associates Aquires Deersoft Inc.
Duncan Findlay writes "Network Associates Inc. has just
acquired Deersoft, Inc., which is known by many as the creator of SpamAssassin Pro, the proprietary (Windows) version of the GPL/PAL licensed SpamAssassin (Mirrors: Eastern US, Europe). It seems that we may see parts of SpamAssassin under the McAfee name within 6 months. You can also read the story at Yahoo or at Reuters. Unfortunately, the SpamAssassin trademark was owned by Deersoft, so hypothetically, NAI could force us to call the Open Source project something else!"
McAfee needs to add in more functionality to remove Gator programs, and other software that installs itself off the web for corporate users. Basically, they need to buy out Adaware and incorporate it within McAfee to make systems 100% clean. Virus Scanners for some reason have been very slow to scan for Gator-like programs that get installed and run in the background without the users knowledge and consent (Autoinstalls from certain sites, etc) and rack itself up as a legit virii if i've ever seen one. Users want to buy this protection, they need to offer it.
Assuming McAfee wants to use the SpamAssassin name, and assuming they try to make the open source project find a new name...
/. -- that's an increase in public exposure already. For a typical open source project (meaning: advertising efforts rely mainly on word-of-mouth and product reviews), there's the potential for great benefit here. If the open source SpamAssassin project makes a good product, nobody will remember a name change controversy one or two years down the line; but there's no doubt that more people will have been made aware that such a project existed in the first place.
wouldn't the open source project benefit greatly just by the exposure and publicity gained through such a move?
Ok, we're not talking a CNN breaking news story here, but I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that I had never even heard of SpamAssassin until just now via
No, you're not a lawyer. Nor am I, but I atleast know a bit about trademarks. Whoever owns the trademark on a word has the sole right to use that word for a certain class of products/services.
The GPL does not in any way restrict the rights of the author of the source code, instead it grants the user of the software additional rights on the condition that they do certain things. Thus, the GPL would not force the author of a program to give up the trademark on the name of the program.
That said I really doubt that McAfee is going to force the open source project to change its name, as it would be a PR nightmare.
Q. What will happen to existing Deersoft Inc. products and customers?
We will take the existing product off the market immediately and will launch an enhanced version in the second quarter of 2003. Network Associates has assumed all support obligations for Deersoft customers. Existing Deersoft customers can contact a technical support representative at 1 800-722-3709.
YES US TELEPHONE SUPPORT! it's *SO* cheap calling from Denmark to US.
Anyway as happy user, I seriously doubt anything worthwhile for existing customers will come out of this.
still reading?
From a marketriod standpoint (IANAM), the word "Assassin" is too heavily conotated with the deliberate forcible termination of human life to be effective as part of a product name (unless you make assassination products!). Also, while SpamAssassin has great market penetration amongst the Slashdot crowd, I don't think it's so well known with the general public that they'll keep the brand name for recognition value.
"Can't you see that everyone is buying station wagons?"
wrt: SpamAssassin trademark was owned by Deersoft, so hypothetically, NAI could force us to call the Open Source project something else!"
...except that the previous owners did not vigorously defend the mark against the Free Software project, would NAI now have grounds at all? Selling the mark does not erase the actions Deersoft did/did-not make.
EXCEPT that there is no justice in the USA without $$$$ - so the mere threat of a suit from NAI would cause the F.S. project to freely walk away from the 'battle'.
Well, two reasons.
1) What I bought was a version that works as a plug-in to Microsoft Outlook that runs client-side in a Outlook/Exchange environment. It's a specific implementation of the code that I wanted. I could have taken the GPL code and changed it to do this, but it is simpler and cheaper to buy it.
2) These guys deserve the money. They worked hard and made a good piece of software. Paying them for their work is a good incentive to continue writing good, useful code.
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