Stallman Claims Linux Trademark Doesn't Matter

Tontoman writes "ZDNet UK reports on an interview with Richard Stallman with the Sydney Morning Herald. From the article: '"Free software means you're free to run it, study it, change it, redistribute it, and distribute modified versions the way cooks do with recipes. What names you're allowed to call a program is a side issue." The Linux trademark became an issue last month after a lawyer acting on behalf of Linux creator Linus Torvalds wrote to 90 Australian companies asking that they sign a statutory declaration waiving exclusive rights to the trademark's use.'"

Comments

fiftieth post

[Anonymous Coward]

ignoolinooks!!!

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Just to flesh out this 'Stallman' character

[tod_miller]

This is not a flame or troll post - the following was stated, unedited by Richard Stallman in an email to me:

"The term "human rights" is a misnomer since it really concerns the rights of real persons. A normal grown human being is a person, and no other species that we have encountered seems to qualify, so we can think of them as "human rights" and usually it doesn't cause a confusion. However, a fetus is not a person and doesn't have rights.

Some day we may develop artificial intelligences that qualify as persons; they too will deserve these rights." [Emphasis mine]

Riiiiiight. Ok man, the 60's must have been awesome... rights of real persons....artificial intelligences

Soo: Woman has 4th lunchtime abortion, on the way to court to have her husband put in jail for abusing her ipod... I love that picture of the future!

Well, draw what conclusion you will, I am a bit scared that people put artificial intelligence... above an entitity that has a beating heart, and can feel pain (although this is a heated debate right now, abortion is a big money maker, and noone wants to admit that a fetus can feel pain).

Anyway, this isn't intended to be trolllish or flamebait, I guess it is offtopic, and for once I agree with what he is saying about tradmarks and:

ON TOPIC

Maybe critics of Mozilla should stop being so fussy about trademarks (gives debian a little playful nudge, then a hug).

I am sure it is more complex, but if Debian is happy to call itself GNU/Linux than it can not whimper about Mozilla's rather defensive stand on its trademarks.

I wonder if 'mozilla compatible' will go from i.e. 7's user agent?...

Re:Just to flesh out this 'Stallman' character

[hitmark]

heh, ill bite on that abortion debate :P

we humans are a funny breed. our pets are put to "sleep" at the first signs of a cornic and deadly illness. but fellow humans are put on life support long after they have no theoretical, much less practical chance of recovery...

why do we do this?

i recall hearing that we are hardwired to not take fellow human lifes unless it comes between the survival of ourselfs or those nearest to us or the survival of a stranger.

soldiers pre and under ww2 where more likely to fire over someones head then try to kill. but now they are trained kinda like dogs are trained to do tricks so that they shoot on reflex rather then having to think about doing it.

what do this have to do with abortion? by looking at it logicaly there is a stage where the body is fully functional but the brain have come no longer then that of say a dog. so while the body may detect pain and react to it, it do not indicate selfawareness.

hell, a child do not become selfware until maybe 6 months after birth or around there. basicly the brain isnt done wireing itself up for the task.

so saying the fetus can react to pain and therefor abortion is work is a serious jump in logic...

it just had to be said...

[OT] Abortion

[ibentmywookie]

The issue with abortion is that by disallowing it, you are putting the rights of an unborn child above the rights of the mother. She is no longer in control over her own body.

When the state can force a ceasarian section to save an unborn baby (for example), this is a problem. It should ultimately be the womans choice as to what she wants to do with her own body. Similarly, it should be the womans choice whether she wants to have the baby at all - while it is inside her, it is part of her body.

Not that I necessarily agree with abortion. I just disagree with the state disallowing it. If my girlfriend got pregnant, and wanted an abortion, I would do everything I could to change her mind.