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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.

2 of 305 comments (clear)

  1. Full Text of the Confidential Agreement - link by darthcamaro · · Score: 5, Informative

    The ZDNET/C|net buggers barely scratched the surface.. Here's a link to the full text of the so called, Confidential Settlement Agreement and Mutual Release of Claims, dated as of July 16, 2004, by and between Microsoft Corporation and Lindows, Inc as filed with the SEC.

  2. Summary of "Confidential" agreement by Ath · · Score: 5, Informative
    • Linspire will change their name from Lindows to Linspire.
    • Linspire will not longer use any form of "Lindows" or even a named with "indows" in it.
    • Linspire will transfer all related domains to the Lindows name to Microsoft.
    • Linspire will no longer bundle Microsoft's media DLLs in its distribution.
    • Microsoft will license the SDK for their media components to Linspire.
    • Linspire accepts Microsoft's claim that "Windows" is a Microsoft trademark. Is it? I doubt it as generic terms are not trademarkable. I think "Microsoft Windows" is trademarked.
    • Microsoft will pay Linspire $20 million.
    • The terms of settlement will be absolutely confidential and only made available where required by law...like on the SEC website during Linspire's IPO.

    So I have a question. Can Linus Torvalds sue Linspire for using the "Lin" part in its name? Wait. Bad idea. Because then Linus would have to pay Linspire $20 million!