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Open Source and Trademark: The Linux Mark Institute Story
Posted by Ernest Miller on Monday, April 22 @ 09:30:57 EDT OpenSource
John "Maddog" Hall, Linux legend and executive director of Linux International, has written an interesting article for Newsforge concerning the Linux Mark Institute (Linux Mark Institute: Protecting the Linux trademark). The Linux Mark Institute is a non-profit that manages the Linux trademark, permitting, for example Linuxchix.org (a community site for Linux developers of the female persuasion), but opposing such uses as Linuxchix.com (a former pornography site) [Warning: also a mousetrapping site]. As clear and successful as various free software/open source licenses have been, the relationship between copyleft and trademark is a concept that is still developing. The Linux Mark Institute is an interesting experiment and one well worth studying.

In other open source news, WIRED reports on the legislation being considered in Peru that would mandate the use of free software in government computers (Peru Discovers Machu Penguin). With proper infrastructure support (trained IP people), governments will not only save millions of (U.S.) dollars (aka "the Microsoft Tax"), but promote and foster an indigenous programming industry. This is an idea that will become increasingly popular in nations outside the U.S.

Also, Eblen Moglen explains the strengths of the GPL, explaining the seeming paradox that the fewer restrictions the stronger the license (Free Software Matters: Enforcing the GPL, I). Slashdot hosts a community debate (GPL's Strength).

 
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· John "Maddog" Hall
· Linux International
· Newsforge
· Linux Mark Institute
· Linux Mark Institute: Protecting the Linux trademark
· Linuxchix.org
· mousetrapping
· free software
· open source
· WIRED
· Peru Discovers Machu Penguin
· Eblen Moglen
· Slashdot
· GPL's Strength
· More about OpenSource
· News by Ernest Miller


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