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Lindows Takes a Hit in the Netherlands
diersing writes "The Register has the latest on it. Resellers of the Linux distribution Lindows in the Netherlands were ordered today to stop selling the product. Amsterdam judge Rullmann agreed with Microsoft that in many ways Lindows is 'profiting from the success of Windows' by infringing on Microsoft's trademarks." This seems to be a rather common occurrence lately.
Lots of people will get to hear 'Lindows' as a result of MS legal action who wouldn't have normally.
As they say, all publicity is good publicity.
I wonder what Michael's next trick will be.
I think either: .. Aha... ha...)
(1) The marketing people are lazy
(2) They feel they can get a leg up by sounding more like "Windows"
(3) They thought Microsoft will be nice to them. (BWAHHHHAHHAAHAA
Throw in the fact that Lindows looks SUSPICIOUSLY like Windows XP, and I think Lindows doesn't really have a leg to stand on.
I've always thought Lindows and "LindowsOS" as they prefer it to be called sounded rather silly anyway. I think Lindows is a nice idea, and a good product, and an excellent way to get more people using Linux. However, much as I dislike some of Microsoft's business practices, I do think the name is too close, and I can see the judgement's point.
;)
Why not just call it Winux instead?
Could you argue that Linux profits from the success for Unix because it sounds similar?
The whole point of the judgement is that the judge thinks that Microsoft has proven that Lindows chose the name Lindows because of its relation to Windows. And, since Windows is a registered trademark in the Netherlands, this is obviously an infringement. Remember, Windows in Dutch has no other meaning as it does in English; it is not a common word.
Nobody can really claim that they chose Lindows for any other reason than the similarity to Windows. They could have chosen a lot of other cool names as Xandros and others have done. They didn't and they made the choice realizing that they might get into legal trouble for doing so.
Also the judge ruled that Lindows must ensure that internet users from the Benelux [BElgium NEtherlands LUXembourg] can no longer access the site www.lindows.com.
Another hit for free speech... I don't even see how that makes sense.
I am afraid that this is not going to be a very popular opinion on /., but I have to say I agree with the judge.
Lindows makes a product that is similar in name, appearance, and function to MicroSoft's. They have advertised it as an alternative to Windows. They are clearly out to get people to switch from Windows to LindowsOS by imitating MicroSoft's product. They are just asking for it.
By the way, it's a tried and true tactic:
1. Piss people off
2. Get publicity
3. PROFIT!!!
</rant>
Please correct me if I got my facts wrong.
change the name to Lindos or LindOS, in spanish it means samething like pretty
No, because Linux and Unix do NOT, in fact, sound similar...
/li'nuks/
/yoo'niks/
Linux
Unix
(Pronounciations stolen graciously from http://www.dictionary.com
Seems to me that Lindows chose that name specifically to leech off of Microsoft's mindshare. Let's face it, can you give me another reason that would explain that choice in names?
Add to this that the distribution acts a little too dangerously like Windows (complete with the default-administrator-user access), and I can't really say that Microsoft isn't justified in it's attacks on this company.
I work in software retail, and one thing I notice is the number of people who are under the mistaken impression that Lindows is Windows. Add to that the number of people who think it's binary compatibility is perfect (it'll run all their old windows apps). I've yet to see Wine reach that level of accuracy.
I will generally ward people away from this distribution, and point to the green or blue SuSE boxes on the shelf nearby; that's just as easy, and much more secure. (I used to point to the Redhat boxes, but since the personal version has been discontinued, it's more cost-effective for customers to buy SuSE)
The Penguin Producer
Duh, it's Linux that acts like Windows, Lindows, what's wrong with that? No one is going to get confused are they? Lindows does not claim to be from Microsoft. They have claimed some interoperability and ease of use for a Windows user.
The name is just fine and the trend of monopolizing varients of names is a distrubing new piece of anti-comptitive stupidity. Take it to it's logical conclusion. Is there any name that anyone can use to imply something simply works like or with Windoze? Does IBM still own the names "PC", "personal computer" and "personal system"? No one can do anything if you get too stupid and complient.
Microsoft is proving that many governments are for sale.
Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.
If they aren't trying to mimic MS Windows then why take a name so remarkably close to it? It is so totally obvious. Lindows is trying to ride on Ms's coat tails. The product may be totally different, but that isn't the point. Its just like that Panaphonics VCR, or that Magnetbox TV...
Why not try "Linux ADVANCE OS" or something. Hell, Linux itself is becoming a buzzword now....
Kiss my shiny metal ass
I tried the recently-released "Developer Edition" that they were giving away a short while back, and I actually was rather impressed. Lindows has to have the most out-of-the-box polish I've ever seen in a commercial distribution. No, it's not very friendly to those of us who know their way around a computer already, but that's not the market they are targeting. It's not exactly going to replace Gentoo on my system, but I could definately see myself recommending Lindows to others.
/sbin/jiffyboot). Other than that though, I liked what I saw. Click-and-run might be the best system update tool I've seen outside of portage, and it has even Gentoo beat in the newbie-friendliness department.
The only real problem that I had with it was getting it to not mess up my boot settings. Though it can dual-boot with Windows easily enough, it does NOT play nice with other versions of Linux, and it took me a while to get it to not reset the MBR with it's own settings every time it booted. (Solution: delete/rename/remove executable permissions for
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