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Debian Allows Trademark Use For Commercial Activities
sfcrazy writes "According to the new trademark policy, Debian logos and marks may now be used freely for both non-commercial and commercial purposes. Stefano Zacchiroli, current Debian Project Leader and one of the main promoters of the new trademark policy, said 'Software freedoms and trademarks are a difficult match. We all want to see well-known project names used to promote free software, but we cannot risk they will be abused to trick users into downloading proprietary spyware. With the help of SPI and SFLC, we have struck a good balance in our new trademark policy. Among other positive things, it allows all sorts of commercial use; we only recommend clearly informing customers about how much of the sale price will be donated to Debian.'"
Does it actually change anything ?
The widely recognized ("official") logo was already the open one, while nobody uses the "restricted" logo.
The new trademark policy states: You cannot use Debian trademarks in any way that suggests an affiliation with or endorsement by the Debian project or community, if the same is not true.
But the official logo doesn't imply endorsement, that's what the restricted logo does. Or isn't the logo part of Debian's trademark ?
Or is it newspeak for an actual restriction of rights ?
I have discovered a truly marvelous proof of killer sig, which this margin is too narrow to contain.
Also known as an Archimedean spiral, who probably also ripped it off from Disney.
c++;
Ubuntu to Amazon: may we use your logo?
Debian to Amazon: you may use our logo.
Yes! I did read the owners manual to my car. That is why I know it has 156HP and a 13.7gal fuel tank. There is a lot more I know about it, but that's irrelevant. Pretty much useless knowledge until I decide to sell it...if I ever do. It's a really nice car and I like it a lot.
It's sad that I am one of the few who still reads things these days. You should try it, you'll learn a lot about things.
"That's right...I said it."
I was in Malaysia once, and a Malaysian Chinese guy explained to me why so many Chinese restaurants there have very basic interiors with very little decoration. Decoration is seen as a sign the restaurant holder focuses on other things than food. Lack of decoration is seen as an indication of quality, the focus is on the food, where it should be. I see the pattern in my own town too, a few Chinese restaurants that mainly attract Chinese guests have the same kind of spartan interior, with fluorescent light, tiles, formica tables, and they have excellent food.
I respond to software in pretty much the same way. I want it to be stable, functional, and I don't want it to distract me from what I'm doing. Wobbly windows, transparent title bars and other forms of bling bling are distracting to me, and they make me feel the focus isn't on making a robust, functional tool but on decorating the tool. Debian, by having a not so nice logo and a simple but functional website, shows that their focus is not on shiny looks. To me that's refreshing, they get to the point instead of distracting me with things that aren't functional. And it fits their purpose: they make a stable OS, not a shiny one.
I can imagine that this actually helps them to keep focused on quality. The people who mistake shiny looks for quality will go somewhere else. If their users don't demand they shift their focus from stability to bling bling they can continue to focus on stability. Other distributions, several based on Debian, can provide the shiny parts for the people who want them.