This is the mail archive of the ecos-announce@sourceware.org mailing list for the eCos project.


Index Nav: [Date Index] [Subject Index] [Author Index] [Thread Index]
Message Nav: [Date Prev] [Date Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next]
Other format: [Raw text]

eCos Trademark Usage


Dear All

I would like to notify you of the eCos Trademark Policy and FAQ published at:
http://www.ecoscentric.com/trademark_usage.shtml


Why is eCosCentric enforcing the eCos trademark?
Trademark law ensures that a operating system calling itself eCos really is eCos, by which we mean the source of the operating system was from the recognised free public distribution of eCos [http://ecos.sourceware.org]. eCosCentric is enforcing the eCos trademark to prevent any one party from duping the marketplace into believing that the eCos it is providing actually came from the recognised free public distribution of eCos when it did not. Trademarks are important because they help to prevent confusion in the marketplace by distinguishing the source of a product, in this case eCos. Should eCosCentric elect not to enforce the trademark and logo, these can fall into common use and thereby become difficult to defend should a party decide to use these to describe an operating system that is not derived from the recognised free public distribution of eCos.


It is important for the eCos community that the trademark is both acknowledged and respected in order to be able to properly protect eCos. While the FSF protects the copyright and code base of eCos, the mark must be actively used in trade in order to be recognised and defensible. As eCosCentric are better placed than the FSF for this role, we acquired the trademark from the FSF shortly after it was donated to the FSF by Red Hat.

In order to properly define the parameters for the community and fair use of the trademark, eCosCentric created a trademark usage policy and guidelines based on the former guidelines of Red Hat, and incorporated parts of the Linux policy and guidelines from the Linux Mark Institute [http://www.linuxmark.org/]. We believe this policy allows the mark to be used freely by the eCos Community in a non-commercial environment while still being able to protect the mark.

As it has come to our attention that some community projects and commercial organisations are not abiding by the guidelines, we would also like to draw these guidelines to the attention of these bodies and ask them to please review their use of the trademark and comply with the guidelines. Proper use of the eCos trademark not only will help protect eCos and the eCos community, but will also help protect your project and business. After all, most of us want to keep eCos as the #1 Free Open Source RTOS.

Thanks for your support
-- Alex Schuilenburg

Managing Director/CEO                                eCosCentric Limited
Tel:  +44 1223 245571                     Barnwell House, Barnwell Drive
Fax:  +44 1223 248712                             Cambridge, CB5 8UU, UK
www.ecoscentric.com             Reg in England and Wales, Reg No 4422071

**  Visit us at ESC Silicon Valley <http://www.embedded.com/esc/sv>  **
**     April 15-17 2008, Booth 3012, San Jose Convention Center      **



Index Nav: [Date Index] [Subject Index] [Author Index] [Thread Index]
Message Nav: [Date Prev] [Date Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next]