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Linux Trademark Protection In Australia

robyannetta writes "Australian companies providing Linux products and services may soon have to pay up to $A5000 a year to licence the operating system name (warning: Registration Required), if the patents agency IP Australia grants a trademark application it is reviewing. About 90 companies with products, services or websites containing the word "Linux" recently received letters of demand from Perth lawyer Jeremy Malcolm. Acting for user group Linux Australia Inc, he asks recipients to sign statements saying their use of the word is subject to the group's licence agreement, which has fees of $A200 to $A5000 under a successful trademark application."

13 of 376 comments (clear)

  1. Austrailia by codefungus · · Score: 0, Troll

    With all the crazy IP stuff I see, this is one country I will never visit.

    Man...that place is messed up.

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    -- A cat is no trade for integrity!
  2. the summary is 100% lies by QuantumG · · Score: 1, Troll

    every single word of it.

    Read the FAQ and educate yourself.

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    How we know is more important than what we know.
  3. Re:Claim: LINUS supports it by QuantumG · · Score: 0, Troll
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    How we know is more important than what we know.
  4. Re:Er, uh by QuantumG · · Score: -1, Troll

    Mahahahaha.. this has to be the best troll I've ever seen. To the idiots who modded this up, got to your preferences page right now and opt out of moderation, you're not fit to wield it.

    --
    How we know is more important than what we know.
  5. Re:Er, uh by QuantumG · · Score: -1, Troll

    It's on the Internet, IT MUST BE TRUE!!!! God you're an idiot.

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    How we know is more important than what we know.
  6. Let's just have him shot by msobkow · · Score: 0, Troll

    Seriously.

    It's time to put an end to the con-artists and crackpots who abuse patent and trademark law to try to make a quick buck off the hard work that others have done. As this particular fellow is clearly beyond redemption or reform, let's just save everyone the hassle and invest in a .30-06 shell and have done with the bastard.

    --
    I do not fail; I succeed at finding out what does not work.
    1. Re:Let's just have him shot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

      I'm not sure that anyone could survive a year in a room with RMS even without the lectures. I recommend that anyone who thinks it is possible arrange to meet him somewhere. Anyone who has to deal with him rergularly has my sympathy.

  7. Re:Claim: LINUS supports it by QuantumG · · Score: 0, Troll

    Yep, and they faked Jonathan Oxer's Blog and the press page of Linux Australia that links to the zdnet article above is also faked, and if you were to get off your ass and call them the guy answering the phone wouldn't really be from Linux Australia, he'd be a midget who does voice impersonations for the CIA. I said it before, I'll say it again, lay off the crack pipe.

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    How we know is more important than what we know.
  8. Re:Er, uh by QuantumG · · Score: 0, Troll
    I don't feel like an idiot.

    Then my job isn't done. I just suckered you. Jeremy Malcolm's firm iLaw did represent the CoS. That's what lawyers do. They take any case that pays. The CoS can pay, so they took the case. Now they are repesenting Linus. Tomorrow they could be representing SCO or some nut who wants to sue Rockstar for making GTA:SA. The problem is that you assign the motives of his clients to him.

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    How we know is more important than what we know.
  9. Re:You Are Lying About a Liar by QuantumG · · Score: -1, Troll

    So the fact that Linux Australia are paying him and have claimed him as their own means nothing. What exactly do we have to do to convince you that he's legit? Would an out of band communication help? Get off your ass, call Linux Australia and ask them. Jesus Christ. I hope Jeremy Malcolm sues you for libel. I really do.

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    How we know is more important than what we know.
  10. Re:Claim: LINUS supports it by QuantumG · · Score: 0, Troll

    Wow. So basically you're blaming me for your unethical behaviour. You don't slander someone just because you're too lazy to do 5 minutes research.

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    How we know is more important than what we know.
  11. Re:Appropriate phrasing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Posting a random bugmenot pass is NOT informative. EVERY time they put a registration required link up, half a dozen people go 'ooh! Free karma!', give a URL everyone knows about, and uses already, or doesn't care about, and the mods think, 'how informative, heres a point!', when they should be thinking, 'Every geek when they see a RR link, they skip over it, register/use an old account, or use bugmenot cause they KNOW ABOUT IT ALREADY!'

    P.S. Not a troll or flamebait, just ignore me if you'd prefer please, I like to mod and I'm in the 'pissed off at everything' time right now.

  12. Re:My company got the letter by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    *hands u a phone*
    "Tell him to get fucked"