[sclug] Python trademark at risk in Europe: We need your help!

[David Newcomb]

Thanks John. I've sent my letter.

On 15 February 2013 10:16, John Stumbles <sclug at yaph.org.uk> wrote:
> From:
> http://pyfound.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/python-trademark-at-risk-in-europe-we.html
>
> 6666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666
>
> For anyone who works in a company that has an office in a EU Community
> member state, we need your help.
>
> There is a company in the UK that is trying to trademark the use of the term
> "Python" for all software, services, servers... pretty much anything having
> to do with a computer. Specifically, it is the company that got a hold on
> the python.co.uk domain 13 years ago. At that time we weren't looking a lot
> at trademark issues, and so we didn't get that domain.
>
> This hasn't been an issue since then because the python.co.uk domain has,
> for most of its life, just forwarded its traffic on to the parent companies,
> veber.co.uk and pobox.co.uk. Unfortunately, Veber has decided that they want
> to start using the name "Python" for their server products.
>
> We contacted the owners of python.co.uk repeatedly and tried to discuss the
> matter with them. They blew us off and responded by filing the community
> trademark application claiming the exclusive right to use "Python" for
> software, servers, and web services - everywhere in Europe.
>
> We got legal counsel in the UK and we (the PSF) are opposing the community
> trademark application, but our own trademark application hasn't yet matured.
> Accordingly, we are going with the trademark rights we have developed
> through using "Python" consistently over the past 20 years.
>
> According to our London counsel, some of the best pieces of evidence we can
> submit to the European trademark office are official letters from well-known
> companies "using PYTHON branded software in various member states of the EU"
> so that we can "obtain independent witness statements from them attesting to
> the trade origin significance of the PYTHON mark in connection with the
> software and related goods/services." We also need evidence of use
> throughout the EU.
>
> What can you do?
> 1. Do you work for a company that uses Python? Are in the EU, do you hire in
> the EU, or do you have an office in the EU? Could you write a letter on
> company letterhead that we can forward to our EU counsel?
>
> We would want:
>
>     just a brief description of how Python is used at your company,
>     how your company looks for and recognizes "Python" as only coming from
> the PSF, and
>     your view that another company using term Python to refer to services,
> software, and servers would be confusing
>
> This doesn't need to be long - just a couple of paragraphs, but we would
> want any description of how you use Python for software, web hosting,
> Internet servers, VPNs, design and development of computer hardware or
> software, hosting websites, renting servers (like Openstack), or backup
> services. For those who are interested the specific class descriptions are
> at the bottom of this message. [1][2]
>
> You can send a PDF copy of the letter to psf-trademarks at python.org
>
> 2. Do you have, or know of, anything that was published in the EU and uses
> "Python" to refer to Python-the-language? Can we get copies, pictures, or
> scans? This includes:
>
>     Books
>     Pamphlets
>     Conference programs or talks
>     Job listings
>     Magazines or other publications
>     Prospectuses
>
> You can send a PDF scan of the materials to psf-trademarks at python.org
>
> 3. You can also help protect the Python intellectual property with financial
> support.
>
> Since the costs of a trademark opposition are in the range of tens of
> thousands of dollars, we will need to find a way to refinance the legal
> costs of the opposition.
>
> Please consider donating to the Python Software Foundation at:
>
>     http://www.python.org/psf/donations/
>
> or get in touch with [them] directly.
>
> This is the first time the PSF has to take legal action to protect Python's
> intellectual property. Please do consider helping the PSF in any way you
> can. The threat is real and can potentially harm your business in Europe,
> especially if you are in the web hosting business and provide Python as part
> of your hosting plans.
>
> 999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
>
> --
> John Stumbles                                       http://yaph.org.uk
> :-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:



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