XXX XXX Linux trademarked?! BS!!!

XXX XXX Linux recently trademarked their name, and they're being more aggressive with their name than Micro$oft!!

http://www.redhat.com/about/corporat...uidelines.html

and especially:

http://www.redhat.com/about/corporat...ark/page8.html

Because of this BS, tuxcds.com has been forced to identify this distro as XXX XXX 7.3!!! Ridiculous!

http://www.tuxcds.com/item.php?item=63

I really don't see what the problem is. Red Hat is a public-listed, commercial company whose brand is on of its important assets. When most companies in the US in particular "think Linux", they are actually "thinking Red Hat". Red Hat obviously feel that their potential market (mainly corporate) is being confused by the availability of their GPL'd ISOs/CDs. They are just trying to make it clear that their product is not just the physical software, but the support and service that comes with it (the only thing that can distinguish them from other Linux providers)

Bear in mind that Red Hat aren't just "takers" from open source and Linux - they give a tremendous amount, and have arguably been the most important factor in boosting Linux recognition in the English-speaking enterprises. Red Hat make ISOs available for download when their product is released for free distribution, unlike some other distributions (e.g. SuSE) which require you to download via FTP or buy the product on CD.

FWIW, Tuxcds is a pretty ineffective way of selling the good - Linux Emporium calls Red Hat "Threads Linux" and states:

One of the most popular Linux distributions is compiled by Red Hat® Software Inc, an American company. Although the distribution can be freely copied and redistributed they have recently started insisting that it should not be called by the name which they use for it. (See their notes on the subject.) Please welcome therefore... Threads Linux.

There's nothing wrong with saying something like "This Linux distribution is compiled from the www.redhat.com FTP servers" or something similar...

Actually, when I "think linux" I "think anything, but Red Hat, SuSE, and BSD".

LOL

Now heaps of sites have to change the name Red Hat Linux to XXX XXX Linux
:P

now red hat is gonna go under, if nobody knows wtf the mirror is actualy providing, nobody will download it. when i SUSPECT something is a program i know, even if there is strong evidence, i simply won't install it. too risky.

Actually, Red Hat may be the first but it is not the only Linux distribution to do this.

So UnitedLinux will remain an open-source project?

Absolutely. The only difference is that the UnitedLinux binaries will not freely distributed. People will be able to download the source code and compile their own binaries, but they will not be able to use the UnitedLinux brand.


http://news.zdnet.co.uk/story/0,,t272-s2111167,00.html

I don't see a problem either, as long as they don't start charging their isos, and rpms

don't you get it dude? when stuff goes closed source it starts to suck.

They're not going closed source... they're just stopping you from selling cheap Red Hat CDs as official Red Hat CDs to "avoid confusion".

They are still allowing full access to their source and binaries...

Come on folks, put your brains back in gear. Linux is the kernel. A distribution is a product made up of the kernel and a variety of other software units. The peripheral software units may have any one of different kinds of licenses or copyrights on them. The complete package IS in fact a legitimate product that can be protected to the extent that the producer wants it protected or can protect it.

RedHat CAN and WILL protect its name and its product. Being a publicly held company, it must protect its investors. You or I could download their ISOs and could, if there were no legal recourse, steal their good name and legitimate profits. No one should stand for that.

On the other hand, someone can download the RedHat ISOs and can re-distribute them while giving proper credit and not charging some high price by passing it off as anything but a copy.

Originally posted by Chooco now red hat is gonna go under, if nobody knows wtf the mirror is actualy providing, nobody will download it. when i SUSPECT something is a program i know, even if there is strong evidence, i simply won't install it. too risky.

well obiovuly not, seeing as redhat make shedloads of money on sever distros and naturally nothing (exluding donations etc) from downloaded home iso's.

<A small lesson in business law>

Question, when you need a tissue to blow your snot you reach for a klenex, right? Well, Klenex (sp) is a copywrited name. When you reach for a tissue from a box of Scotts, you grab a klenex, not a scotts. Klenex has become a generic term for tissue because the company that holds the copywrite did not protect it. It's the same reason Xerox has recently began aggressive protection of thier copywrite.

If a company does not aggressivly protect their copywrite, they can legally loose it.

A company does not want their name to become the generic term used to describe a product because it then becomes difficult to differentiate. So, Red Hat, besides having every right, SHOULD protect their copywrited name.

</A small lesson in business law>

xgtr, out.

Originally posted by danrees Actually, Red Hat may be the first but it is not the only Linux distribution to do this. So UnitedLinux will remain an open-source project? Absolutely. The only difference is that the UnitedLinux binaries will not freely distributed. People will be able to download the source code and compile their own binaries, but they will not be able to use the UnitedLinux brand. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/story/0,,t272-s2111167,00.html

Mmmmkay... How do you feel about compiling 1.4 gigabytes of code? I am not thrilled...

klenex guy, most people don't see redhat as the big guy. nobody says "i'm installing redhat" they say "i'm installing Linux"
well i can understand i guess.

on a side note, have any of you guys actually been able to DOWNLOAD 7.3???? i checked there yesterday and there is only 1 download location and it's slow as crap at about 3kb/s

First off, my name ain't klenex guy, dipschite.

Secondly, my objective was to illustrate why a company protects it's copywrite, using as an example a company that did not. It takes years for a tradmarked name to become the generic name for a class of products. Red Hat is trying to prevent this from happening.

Plus, I would argue that your average Joe has never heard of Mandrake, Slackware, Debian, etc. But I would be willing to bet he HAS heard of Red Hat. Red Hat is the de facto standard Linux distribution for all those Windows users that have never ventured into a Linux forum. So in effect Linux, to them, is Red Hat and Red Hat is Linux.

The fact that Red Hat is protecting it's property does not mean it is becoming closed source, adn the fact that free downloads of RH no longer bear teh RH name does not mean they are going to fold. Free downloads are a source of ZERO dollars of revenue.

Do you have any other stupid comments?

xgtr, out.

PS I have downloaded 7.3. KDE 3 is fscking beautiful!!!