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Microsoft and Lindows Settle Trademark Case

Posted by simoniker on from the almost-over-now dept.

An anonymous reader writes "According to an official press release hosted over at Yahoo, Microsoft and Lindows have settled their trademark case, and have announced: 'Over the next few months Lindows will cease using the term Lindows and transition to Linspire globally as our company name and primary identifier for our operating system product.' Although it's claimed: 'Terms of the settlement are confidential', ZDNet has an article filling in more details, including the fact: 'Microsoft will pay upstart Linux seller Lindows $20 million... [so that Lindows] will give up the Lindows name and assign related Web domains to Microsoft.'" We've previously covered the Microsoft and Lindows conflict in some detail.

26 of 305 comments (clear)

  1. Lacking linspiration by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I think the new name is a bit unlinspired.

  2. Hmm... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    20 million....

    I think it's time to roll out a Gentoo based MS Windows look-a-like named Gindows.

    - A s M -

    1. Re:Hmm... by brysnot · · Score: 3, Funny

      I would be careful. You may also incur the wrath of the Gin Industry.

  3. QUICK, register Dosy.com, NToo, WORDy, etc. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny
    This is great. Now we have a new way to make money from Microsoft. Just create a company with a name like one of their products (Wordy, NToo, DOSy, EXCELent) and then sue them (or watch them sue you). Let the legal wrangling begin to drain the coffers of Microsoft.


    You too can make $20M. I am sure you can find lawyers willing to do the paperwork for you (on an if-come, for about $50%).

  4. $20 Million! Get rich quick by lacrymology.com · · Score: 5, Funny

    Due to this news I have decided to register the following domains:

    Aindows.com
    Bindows.com
    Cindows.com
    Dindows.c om
    Eindows.com
    Findows.com
    Gindows.com
    Hindows .com
    Iindows.com
    Jindows.com
    Kindows.com
    Mindo ws.com
    Nindows.com
    Oindows.com
    Pindows.com
    Qin dows.com
    Rindows.com
    Sindows.com
    Tindows.com
    U indows.com
    Vindows.com
    Xindows.com
    Yindows.com
    Zindows.com

    I anxiously await 24 $20M checks.
    -m

    --

    #
    # Modus Ponens
    #
  5. Vindows by linuxci · · Score: 4, Funny

    So who want's to start Vindows, a layer on top of VMS that makes it more like Windows. We could even call it Vindows NT.

    Seriously, with MS so close to losing their trademark, why not more people set up names similar to windows and cash in challenging them in court.

    MS throw about their weight with trademarks way too often (MikeRoweSoft is a recent example), if I was called Bob I'd be scared that they'd sue me next.

  6. In Other News by PonyHome · · Score: 5, Funny

    The Andersen Company declined to comment on rumors that they were in negotiations with Microsoft to give up all right to the name of their product, formerly titled "Windows." They further refused to comment on speculation that their products would now be called "Wallholes." When asked how much cash they'd been offered by Redmond, the Andersen spokesman hung up on this reporter.

  7. Re:$20 Million! Get rich quick by FyRE666 · · Score: 4, Funny

    I think I'll go for VVindows,\^/indows and \/\/indows ;-)

    --
    Code, Hardware, stuff like that.
  8. Re:Rock-Solid Business Plan by uss_valiant · · Score: 2, Funny
    1) start a company with some sort-of derivitave of 'Windows'
    2) collect 20 million from Microsoft
    3) ???
    4) profit
    Warning: Incorrect use of slashdot/post_templates/123profit.tpl at line 2!

    Profit occures before step '3) ???'.

    PS: /. /.ed today?? Getting lots of '503 Service Unavailable'.
  9. Re:Is it over? by xystren · · Score: 5, Funny

    I can't wait to see this...

    "Linspire - Where do you want to go today?"

    Try it, you may be able to get another 20million outta them.....
    ---
    sig line? We *don't* need no stinky sig line.

  10. This can only be a good thing for open source by Tim_F · · Score: 2, Funny

    What this basically means is that there will now be a major open source player. If Lindows is frugal with this money, or spends it on advertising and promotions that benefit both themselves and the open source community that they take their base distribution from, we could finally see the first real threat to Microsoft! And with money given to them by their main competitor?

    Didn't Alanis Morisette right a song about this?

  11. Re:What a cop out! by ckaminski · · Score: 2, Funny

    Just wait two years for lindows.com to expire like hotmail.com did, and you can buy it back and try it out all by yourself. :-)

    Oh wait, MS has the Lindows trademark now... you're screwed.

  12. Re:Is Xindows taken? by jrumney · · Score: 2, Funny
    What's to stop Aindows, Bindows, etc from trying the same thing?

    US Business Method Patent Application #91704002

    Inventor: Michael Robertson

    Abstract:

    1. Start new company with name similar name to a Microsoft product.
    2. Wait until Microsoft sues.
    3. ....
    4. Profit.
  13. Re:Two reasons by mog007 · · Score: 3, Funny

    1/3000th of 250,000 is about 84. I don't know about you, but when I have to pay 84 bucks for a movie ticket, I'll move to China and buy the VCD, just to spite the movie companies.

    --
    Learn something new.
  14. Like-rosoft OS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    The new name will be Like-rosoft OS.

  15. Re:Is it over? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
    until Sunbean sues Linspire

    And Sunbeam sues Sunbean.

  16. Re:Two reasons by daeley · · Score: 5, Funny

    84 bucks for a movie ticket

    Actually the poster probably meant a movie ticket + small popcorn and thimble of Sprite, which $84 would almost cover.

    --
    I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate.
  17. Re:Is it over? by Em+Adespoton · · Score: 2, Funny
    I guess it's time for me to try for a double-whammy and incorporate myself as Lycrasoft - I'd sell a compiled version of XWindows for the final result of:

    Lycrasoft XWindows PE (Premium Edition)

    Think I could get DuPont to give me money too?

  18. Re:What a cop out! by The+Conductor · · Score: 4, Funny

    This is Win/Win

    I would have called it a Win/Lin.
    ...sorry, couldn't resist.

  19. Re:What a cop out! by Alsee · · Score: 4, Funny

    If someone offered me $20 Million dollars to change my name

    Hi! Call me Fuckwad!
    And with $20 million dollars in my pocket that's Mr. Fuckwad!

    -

    --
    - - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.
  20. Next up... by presearch · · Score: 2, Funny

    Linspire is coming out with a laptop product line named "Linspiron".

  21. Re:Two reasons by dman123 · · Score: 2, Funny
    Actually the poster probably meant a movie ticket + small popcorn and thimble of Sprite, which $84 would almost cover.

    At that point you might as well spend $84.25 and get the gallon of Sprite. It's only a quarter more!!! And such a good deal!!!;-)

    --

    --
    dman123 forever!
    Filtering out the -1s and 0s since 1999.
  22. Re:$20 Million! Get rich quick by minotaurcomputing · · Score: 2, Funny

    Sindows is optimized for serving pr0n!

  23. Re:Is it over? by SIGALRM · · Score: 2, Funny
    Lindows^H^H^H^H^Hspire is an answer to Windows
    Lispire? The folks over at LISP might have a problem with that.
    --
    Sigs cause cancer.
  24. $20 mil for a name? by io333 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Uh... I have a new operating system... it's a umm FreeBSD based distribution, and it's called uh... WindowsBSD. There. I copyright the name. WindowsBSD.

    SUE ME NOW YOU BASTARDS!!!!! (please?)

  25. Re:What a cop out! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    With $20mil in your pocket, I think you're entitled to "Lord Fuckwad".