[sclug] Cheap'n'nasty Tesco Linux machines

[Philip Hands]

On Mon, Mar 17, 2008 at 06:44:30PM +0000, Dickon Hood wrote:
> On Mon, Mar 17, 2008 at 18:12:59 +0000, Tom Carbert-Allen wrote:
> : originator? does someone claim title to the concept of open source 
> : software? If so, I don't accept this. Are you talking about this Eric 
> : Raymond bloke that someone else mentioned?
> 
> Eric Raymond invented the term, and trademarked it.  Accept it or not,
> it's what happened.

Erm, well, a group of people (ESR, Bruce Perens, Tim O'reily, possibly
others, I forget) got together and scratched their heads about the fact
that US industry seemed to shy away from Free Software, and came up with
the theory that US Industry thought we were a bunch of shifty pinkos
who clearly didn't value rapacious capitalism enough to be trusted.

So they came up with "Open Source" as a new label to paste over the
scary Free Software that was printed on the box.  At the time I thought
it was a clever wheeze, but since have noticed that it's way to open
(sic) to abuse by people that are not our friends.  It seems that Bruce
has also come to the same conclusion, and has reverted to Free Software
as his preferred term.

Of course, the Open Source Initiative, who's primary purpose for existence
was to hold the trademark, has been looking for something useful to do
ever since, given that the trademark application _was_ _rejected_ by the
US Patent Office.

There is no trademark in the term Open Source.

Cheers, Phil.