Slashdot Mirror
Microsoft and Lindows Settle Trademark Case
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.
That said, I'm glad to see the end of this as an issue... until Sunbean sues Linspire over their trademark
Sigs cause cancer.
Seriously, the linspire people are not the kinds of companies I, personally, would like to see carrying the Linux/OSS banner forward any more than I'd want to see claria be our standardbearer.
Hopefully after being forced to change their name will cause computer companies to consider bundling other "distributions" (if you deign call "lindows" a "distribution") such as mandrake or fedora wich are much more free (as in speech and as in beer), and who have not based their business model on a combination of selling free applications and having a name that sounds like 'windows'.
It seems that redirecting web domain will cause consumer confusion. Joe consumer who doesn't know any better will go to the Lindows site only to find Microsoft and then assume they are the same thing.
Hey!
That agreement mentions removal of Windows media codecs from Linspire.
Looks like it was about more than just the name!
Or is this just microsoft demanding removal of EVERYTHING microsoft.
I feel somewhat dirty reading a confidential agreement, but then again its microsoft so it balances out.
liqbase
I am starting a new company to challenge the Windows Trademark. The company name will be "Vindows". I fully expect that there will be a legal challenge by that big nasty company with all the money. I expect a need to raise about two million to be financially viable before introducing the new company and its products. I promise that I will not store my software in a warehouse somewhere, but will provide direct links to the manufacturer's websites where you will be allowed to obtain software at no cost to you once you become a partner in my company.
I am currently soliciting investment funds from entrepeneurs in the amounts of $50.00 or more each toward this goal. Private share certificates will be issued for each investment of $50.00, and for the first $1000 (oops) I meant 1000 people who have limited funds and can only donate (oops again) invest $25 dollars, I will divide the investment shares accordingly.
If the venture company really takes off, we will all become rather rich. However, the best we can hope for is for that big nasty company to come try to put us out of business by claiming they have rights to our name. The way I see it, with two million dollars to pay attorney fees, we will still have $18 million to share after we change our name and settle out of court. For those who have invested in the initial two million dollars, your return will be a whopping 400 percent, allowing you to recoup your investment plus 300 percent in less than 3 years.
That leaves me as CEO and owner, having made the company what it is, with just enough to limp along and start over with --- well, I was thinking of something like "Rindows".
Please forward your donations to me at my websites, vindows.com and three years from now, rindows.com. Please don't get the names mixed up since others may try to scam you out of money by registering similar websites like "dindows" of "findows" or even "zindows".
Thanks ahead for your donation (oops still again). I meant investment.
CEO and Owner, Vindows
This settlement just proves, once again, that Michael Robertson doesn't walk his talk. The same thing happened with MP3.COM. He folded without ever concluding a court battle.
It would have been one thing had he didn't pretend to be some pro-little-guy visionary. If he was up front about being a mere speculator of up-and-coming technologies (MP3, Linux, what's next?), then I could tolerate his actions. I still wouldn't like him, but at least everyone would know what they are dealing with.
What a chump.
Method of processing duck feet