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Microsoft Software Linux

Microsoft and Lindows Settle Trademark Case 305

Posted by simoniker from the almost-over-now dept.
An anonymous reader writes "According to an official press release hosted over at Yahoo, Microsoft and Lindows have settled their trademark case, and have announced: 'Over the next few months Lindows will cease using the term Lindows and transition to Linspire globally as our company name and primary identifier for our operating system product.' Although it's claimed: 'Terms of the settlement are confidential', ZDNet has an article filling in more details, including the fact: 'Microsoft will pay upstart Linux seller Lindows $20 million... [so that Lindows] will give up the Lindows name and assign related Web domains to Microsoft.'" We've previously covered the Microsoft and Lindows conflict in some detail.
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Microsoft and Lindows Settle Trademark Case More

Microsoft and Lindows Settle Trademark Case

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  • Is it over? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by SIGALRM ( 784769 ) * on Monday July 19, 2004 @02:41PM (#9739982) Journal
    We are pleased to resolve this litigation on terms that make business sense for all parties
    Although speculation, it's hard to imagine a settlement scenario that didn't include either (1) Microsoft's ability to throw around insane amounts of cash, (2) Lindows' reckoning with a legal juggernaut via Redmond, or a combination thereof.

    That said, I'm glad to see the end of this as an issue... until Sunbean sues Linspire over their trademark [uspto.gov] ... crap!

  • What a cop out! (Score:5, Insightful)

    by linuxci ( 3530 ) on Monday July 19, 2004 @02:45PM (#9740019)
    I was hoping that Lindows would have went all the way to prove that the Windows trademark is too generic a term to be valid. Instead they take the easy option and go for the cash.

    Although I guess you probably would find it difficult to refuse MS cash if you were a company.

    • Re:What a cop out! (Score:5, Insightful)

      by mahdi13 ( 660205 ) <icarus.lnx@gmail.com> on Monday July 19, 2004 @02:52PM (#9740062) Journal
      If someone offered me $20 Million dollars to change my name I would in a heartbeat!
      Expecially if it was a dumb sounding name to begin with!

      The only part of this deal that I don't like is turning over the domain name...just what does Lindows have to do with Windows?
      Of course, I guess that's what this whole case was about =)
      • I guess I don't see why Microsoft went to all this trouble. Sure $20 Million is pocket change for them but it still doesn't make sense to me. They sue lindows and and up paying $20 million (on top of whatever legal fees) meanwhile all lindows has to do is change their name and turn over their domains.

        It seems like Microsoft could have achieved this through less expensive and less hostile means.
      • Just wait two years for lindows.com to expire like hotmail.com did, and you can buy it back and try it out all by yourself. :-)

        Oh wait, MS has the Lindows trademark now... you're screwed.

      • Re:What a cop out! (Score:5, Funny)

        by Alsee ( 515537 ) on Monday July 19, 2004 @04:31PM (#9740945) Homepage
        If someone offered me $20 Million dollars to change my name

        Hi! Call me Fuckwad!
        And with $20 million dollars in my pocket that's Mr. Fuckwad!

        -

      • Re:What a cop out! (Score:3, Interesting)

        by Frobnicator ( 565869 )

        The only part of this deal that I don't like is turning over the domain name.. just what does Lindows have to do with Windows? Of course, I guess that's what this whole case was about =)

        I think considering the earlier slashdot story proclaiming "VNUnet has a story about Longhorn having the ability to run unix or linux code via SFU." [slashdot.org] that it wouldn't be unreasonable to see Microsoft begin using the word "Lindows" for such a technology.

        A quote from the article is "SFU is not shipped with Windows because S

    • Re:What a cop out! (Score:5, Insightful)

      by DarkBlackFox ( 643814 ) on Monday July 19, 2004 @02:59PM (#9740140)
      While I have no love for Lindows, and certainly less for Microsoft, the settlement does seem like the most logical thing to do, in a purely business sense. Lindows/Linspire is struggling to make a name for itself in the Windows -> Linux market, and certainly needs money to sustain it's business. Now, with a case like this one here, is it more profitable to accept the settlement over a relatively trivial issue (read: not directly affecting business), or continue a legal battle with one of the largest, richset corporations in the world.

      On the one hand, they make some quick cash to help their business grow. On the other, they fight against a company with enough money and legal resources to continue a trial for decades. It only makes sense that they take a profit over a loss, considering the legal fees involved with an extended trial.

    • Re:What a cop out! (Score:5, Interesting)

      by Deagol ( 323173 ) on Monday July 19, 2004 @04:11PM (#9740773) Homepage
      I agree.

      This settlement just proves, once again, that Michael Robertson doesn't walk his talk. The same thing happened with MP3.COM. He folded without ever concluding a court battle.

      It would have been one thing had he didn't pretend to be some pro-little-guy visionary. If he was up front about being a mere speculator of up-and-coming technologies (MP3, Linux, what's next?), then I could tolerate his actions. I still wouldn't like him, but at least everyone would know what they are dealing with.

      What a chump.

    • I never got this argument. It always seemed like sour grapes to me. What's so generic about "Microsoft Windows XP" or "Microsoft Office 2003?"

      I don't think it's so much that some here actually believe it's too generic to be trademarked--they just want to strike back at Microsoft in some way out of some bizarre vindictiveness.

      • Re:What's generic about it? (Score:4, Informative)

        by fishbot ( 301821 ) on Monday July 19, 2004 @05:27PM (#9741520) Homepage
        "I never got this argument. It always seemed like sour grapes to me. What's so generic about "Microsoft Windows XP" or "Microsoft Office 2003?""

        There's nothing wrong with those names - it's the use of the words windows [reference.com] or office [reference.com] OUTSIDE the phrase incorporating the Microsoft name.

        MS still seem to be setting themselves up for it - go here [microsoft.com] and check out all the use of the proper noun 'Office' without any off the 'Microsoft' or version qualifiers! That's where the issue has, does and will continue to lie.
  • Seriously, the linspire people are not the kinds of companies I, personally, would like to see carrying the Linux/OSS banner forward any more than I'd want to see claria be our standardbearer.

    Hopefully after being forced to change their name will cause computer companies to consider bundling other "distributions" (if you deign call "lindows" a "distribution") such as mandrake or fedora wich are much more free (as in speech and as in beer), and who have not based their business model on a combination of selling free applications and having a name that sounds like 'windows'.

    • Re:This is one case where I was rooting for micros (Score:4, Insightful)

      by MobyDisk ( 75490 ) on Monday July 19, 2004 @03:37PM (#9740394) Homepage
      Why? What's so wrong with Linspire that you don't want them to join your following? I see this attitude everywhere, but I don't understand it. I hope this is something more than the script-kiddie "If grandma can use it then it sux: OSS should be hard to use" attitude.
      • The typical OSS "fan" will not admit that what attracts them to it is that it is "renegade" and "rebellious" and such. Most of these types make no contributions, they are more like the Gamers who latch on to a game before it become Mega Huge, then tell everyone how passé it is when it becomes Mega Huge.

        So, because Lindows has taken Linux and gone after the lowest common denominator, the "average" user, the Uber Script Kiddies and Uber Wanna Be Geeks diss it as not really Linux, after all "grandma" ca

      • I hope this is something more than the script-kiddie "If grandma can use it then it sux: OSS should be hard to use" attitude.

        If it were that, you'd see the same comments about Xandros and Lycoris. Lindows just comes across as sleazy and disreputable: the constant imitation of trademarks from Microsoft and Apple (that you've got to think are done with an eye towards generating publicity), the rebadging of others people's open-source applications, the ludicrous claims of Windows compatibility. There's a feel

        • Re:This is one case where I was rooting for micros (Score:4, Informative)

          by joeljkp ( 254783 ) <joeljkparker.gmail@com> on Monday July 19, 2004 @04:30PM (#9740940)
          They claimed Windows compatibility (and poured money into the WINE project) prematurely, when it looked like it may be possible to actually accomplish it. Once it became clear that it wasn't going to happen, they did away with that marketing bullet-point.

          Linspire also contributes [linspire.com] heavily to a range of OSS projects, such as WINE, GAIM, Mozilla, NVu, Reiser4, etc. Xandros, on the other hand, doesn't (AFAIK).

          Not to mention that they managed to do the unthinkable: get Linux into Wal-Mart and other mainstream places. They've gotten the topic a hell of a lot of press, too.

          I'd say their distro may even come second to their bolstering of the "you don't have to settle for Windows" crowd.

      • What's so wrong with Linspire that you don't want them to join your following? I see this attitude everywhere, but I don't understand it. I hope this is something more than the script-kiddie "If grandma can use it then it sux: OSS should be hard to use" attitude.

        Because Lindows, Linspire, or whatever you want to call it, sets up users to run as root. That is one of the major mistakes made by MS and is a wide open security hole. Having a bunch of rooted Lindows boxes causing havoc would be a black eye f

    • Re:This is one case where I was rooting for micros (Score:5, Informative)

      by Vicegrip ( 82853 ) on Monday July 19, 2004 @03:57PM (#9740625) Journal
      "selling free applications and having a name that sounds like 'windows'"

      Ok, I'll bite. I don't use Lindows/Linspire but this post is incorrect.

      1. Lindows sells a subscriptions service where they offer easy to install apps. This may not seem useful to you but it's very useful to a horde of people for whom installing software is too complex. They are selling "making it easy for you" not the free software.

      2. Lindows doesn't represent the community and nobody would take seriously an attempt on their part to do so. They do however contribute to it. Recently, for example, they hired a fulltime mozilla developer. I'm also pretty sure they help finance/contribute to the development of some KDE apps. Additionally, they help pay for the bandwidth of the kdelook website.

      3. Microsoft's rights to the word window are debatable at best. IMO owning the rights to the use of words in a specific context is a stupid idea that should never have been allowed.

      4. I don't blame Lindows for taking the 20mil. It's not cheap fighting litigation all around the world and extra tough when you're trying to build a business at the same time. Especially when your opponent has bottomless pits of money.

  • Full Text of the Confidential Agreement - link (Score:5, Informative)

    by darthcamaro ( 735685 ) * on Monday July 19, 2004 @02:50PM (#9740051)
    The ZDNET/C|net buggers barely scratched the surface.. Here's a link [sec.gov]to the full text of the so called, Confidential Settlement Agreement and Mutual Release of Claims, dated as of July 16, 2004, by and between Microsoft Corporation and Lindows, Inc as filed with the SEC.
  • He starts a good fight... then sells out.

    • MR fought pretty hard (Score:5, Insightful)

      by 0x0d0a ( 568518 ) on Monday July 19, 2004 @03:38PM (#9740412) Journal
      Actually, MR has been in the trenches quite a bit.

      He was one of the first people to try challenging Microsoft for the desktop head-on.

      He managed to grab $20M in funding from Microsoft.

      He funded the "run Linux on the XBox awards" that partly funded the practical breaking of the XBox DRM, which probably cost Microsoft quite a pretty penny in lost royalties.

      MR may not be a nice person. He may not even be someone that you want associated with Linux. You could argue that he hits below the belt when he fights. But one thing you can't say is that he wasn't fighting against Microsoft, because he did, more so than just about anyone out there -- he walked up, challenged Microsoft, and has been steadily beating them, abeit with a thousand little stabs. He's managed to cut himself a nice little niche out of Windows market share while staying about as high-profile at Redmond as could possibly be imagined. He's one of those rare beasts -- a competent exec.

      He's hardly sold out -- he now has a slightly changed product name (that personally, I find more appealing), a good chunk of money, plenty of publicity from the case, and based on what he's done so far, I expect that he'll do fine for himself.

  • Is Xindows taken? (Score:3, Interesting)

    by ron_ivi ( 607351 ) <sdotno@cheapcomp ... s.com minus poet> on Monday July 19, 2004 @02:51PM (#9740058)
    $20MM for a similar name sounds pretty wild. What's to stop Aindows, Bindows, etc from trying the same thing?
    • That's it. I am going to start a company that sells Real glass windows for houses.

      I'll call it "Micosof windows". I'd be happy to give the name up for $20 mil.

    • What's to stop Aindows, Bindows, etc from trying the same thing?

      US Business Method Patent Application #91704002

      Inventor: Michael Robertson

      Abstract:

      1. Start new company with name similar name to a Microsoft product.
      2. Wait until Microsoft sues.
      3. ....
      4. Profit.

  • Lacking linspiration (Score:5, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 19, 2004 @02:52PM (#9740064)
    I think the new name is a bit unlinspired.

  • I love it! (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 19, 2004 @02:52PM (#9740065)
    MS sues and Linspire walks away with $20M to use against MS to make their product and Linux better.

    Sweet!!!

  • Hmm... (Score:5, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 19, 2004 @02:52PM (#9740069)
    20 million....

    I think it's time to roll out a Gentoo based MS Windows look-a-like named Gindows.

    - A s M -

  • QUICK, register Dosy.com, NToo, WORDy, etc. (Score:2, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    This is great. Now we have a new way to make money from Microsoft. Just create a company with a name like one of their products (Wordy, NToo, DOSy, EXCELent) and then sue them (or watch them sue you). Let the legal wrangling begin to drain the coffers of Microsoft.


    You too can make $20M. I am sure you can find lawyers willing to do the paperwork for you (on an if-come, for about $50%).

    • I think it has more to do with what the company actually does. How many window washing companies can you find in the yellow pages named so-and-so's windows? This was about Linux, and Microsoft not wanting people associating the product with them, which sheep tend to do. Kudos for Lindow^H^H^Hspire for getting sued and walking away with $20M.

    • Just create a company with a name like one of their products (Wordy, NToo, DOSy, EXCELent) and then sue them

      I remember in the days of the Atari 800 series (I still have my old 800XL!) there was a word processor called "First XLEnt", intended to be pronounced "first excellent" (X-L-Ent), so there's already a product with that name.

      "Wordy" sounds nice. It could have a variation of the auto-correct feature, where it replaces words with wordy phrases as you type. Imagine the potential for when you have to w

  • Sort of like wxWidgets (Score:4, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 19, 2004 @02:54PM (#9740078)
    Microsoft forced wxWindows to change their name to wxWidgets. They didn't really have a strong case, but as an non-commercial project, the wxWidgets proejct didn't have the finances to contest it, either.

    Microsoft offered some assistance in getting a hold of a new site for wxWidgets, as well as offsetting costs, but it was nothing along the lines of $20 Million.

    So Microsoft has been going after other people in the "similar" namespace and using carrots and sticks to move them away from the Windows name. Generic or not, they are doing everything they can to ensure "Windows" is associated only with the Microsoft product.

  • Redirecting web domains (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Roached ( 84015 ) on Monday July 19, 2004 @02:55PM (#9740093)
    It seems that redirecting web domain will cause consumer confusion. Joe consumer who doesn't know any better will go to the Lindows site only to find Microsoft and then assume they are the same thing.

  • M$ puts out the cash! (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Southpaw018 ( 793465 ) on Monday July 19, 2004 @02:56PM (#9740104) Journal
    Know what? Arguments about how MS is trying to enforce an "overly broad Windows trademark" are now moot. The settlement shows that Microsoft is aware that they cannot force names like Lindows to stop just because of a similarity, but they ARE willing to pay out to keep a monopoly. And know what? That's damn fair.
    • Sure they're willing to pay, but only if they're forced to. If you don't have the cash to put up a fight, you're fucked and don't get a dime. That's called barratry, and that's not fair.
  • Due to this news I have decided to register the following domains:

    Aindows.com
    Bindows.com
    Cindows.com
    Dindows.c om
    Eindows.com
    Findows.com
    Gindows.com
    Hindows .com
    Iindows.com
    Jindows.com
    Kindows.com
    Mindo ws.com
    Nindows.com
    Oindows.com
    Pindows.com
    Qin dows.com
    Rindows.com
    Sindows.com
    Tindows.com
    U indows.com
    Vindows.com
    Xindows.com
    Yindows.com
    Zindows.com

    I anxiously await 24 $20M checks.
    -m

  • Vindows (Score:5, Funny)

    by linuxci ( 3530 ) on Monday July 19, 2004 @02:57PM (#9740115)
    So who want's to start Vindows, a layer on top of VMS that makes it more like Windows. We could even call it Vindows NT.

    Seriously, with MS so close to losing their trademark, why not more people set up names similar to windows and cash in challenging them in court.

    MS throw about their weight with trademarks way too often (MikeRoweSoft is a recent example), if I was called Bob I'd be scared that they'd sue me next.

  • In Other News (Score:5, Funny)

    by PonyHome ( 625218 ) on Monday July 19, 2004 @02:58PM (#9740132)
    The Andersen Company [andersenwindows.com] declined to comment on rumors that they were in negotiations with Microsoft to give up all right to the name of their product, formerly titled "Windows." They further refused to comment on speculation that their products would now be called "Wallholes." When asked how much cash they'd been offered by Redmond, the Andersen spokesman hung up on this reporter.

  • Good For Lindows (Score:3, Insightful)

    by beejay54 ( 781673 ) on Monday July 19, 2004 @02:58PM (#9740134) Homepage
    I have to say, good for Lindows. They've managed to secure some decent funding for their development while getting a lot of attention. Lets face it, most Linux users are 'in the know' in the IT world. The transition from Lindows to Linspire (or whatever) is *not* going to get people lost. So good for them!

  • I predicted this way back... (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Anita Coney ( 648748 ) on Monday July 19, 2004 @03:10PM (#9740191) Homepage
    When Lindows started using Linspire in the US. It made no sense other than to prepare for an eventual settlement. I do wish Robertson would have held out for more money. 20 million is NOTHING to Microsoft.

  • What this basically means is that there will now be a major open source player. If Lindows is frugal with this money, or spends it on advertising and promotions that benefit both themselves and the open source community that they take their base distribution from, we could finally see the first real threat to Microsoft! And with money given to them by their main competitor?

    Didn't Alanis Morisette right a song about this?

  • What about that Linux WMA player? (Score:3, Interesting)

    by redelm ( 54142 ) on Monday July 19, 2004 @03:14PM (#9740242) Homepage
    OK, so it looks like a sellout, but 20 M$ is decent money and legal fees would have been a large fraction of this. Unfortunately, M$ has become a 800lib gorilla.

    I'm more interested in one of the settlement terms where Lindows..er..Linspire will remove certain components and M$ will provide alternatives. This means that MS will have to port some software to Linux. Ouch!

  • Summary of "Confidential" agreement (Score:5, Informative)

    by Ath ( 643782 ) on Monday July 19, 2004 @03:17PM (#9740261)
    • Linspire will change their name from Lindows to Linspire.
    • Linspire will not longer use any form of "Lindows" or even a named with "indows" in it.
    • Linspire will transfer all related domains to the Lindows name to Microsoft.
    • Linspire will no longer bundle Microsoft's media DLLs in its distribution.
    • Microsoft will license the SDK for their media components to Linspire.
    • Linspire accepts Microsoft's claim that "Windows" is a Microsoft trademark. Is it? I doubt it as generic terms are not trademarkable. I think "Microsoft Windows" is trademarked.
    • Microsoft will pay Linspire $20 million.
    • The terms of settlement will be absolutely confidential and only made available where required by law...like on the SEC website during Linspire's IPO.

    So I have a question. Can Linus Torvalds sue Linspire for using the "Lin" part in its name? Wait. Bad idea. Because then Linus would have to pay Linspire $20 million!


    • Linspire accepts Microsoft's claim that "Windows" is a Microsoft trademark. Is it? I doubt it as generic terms are not trademarkable. I think "Microsoft Windows" is trademarked.

      Yes, "Windows" is a Microsoft tradmark.
      That's what the whole lawsuit was about.
      They called it "Lindows", not "Licrosoft Lindows". ;)

      Frankly, I think it sucks that they ceded to this, as "Windows" should _never_ have been trademarked, as it had been in use for the exact same meaning for many years before Microsoft decided to "inve

      • Linspire accepts Microsoft's claim that "Windows" is a Microsoft trademark

      Now we know what Microsoft paid for: A legal precedent regarding the name.

  • I thought the Windows Trademark (or better: its continued existance) was worth far more than a measily 2E7 USD.

    |_lindows could have easily gambled much longer and higher.

    Rainer

  • Moo (Score:2)

    by Chacham ( 981 ) *
    "Lindows" was to match "Windows", so i am happy with the decision. And that Microsoft is *helping* them is even nicer. Good things do happen...

  • And about time... (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Saeed al-Sahaf ( 665390 ) on Monday July 19, 2004 @03:20PM (#9740292) Homepage
    For Microsoft, 20 mill to swat a skeeter biting their back is nothing, it's like you and I buying a can of "Off".

    But I would like to say, I think Microsoft not only would have won any court cases, but probably should. "Lindows" is clearly a trademark infringement, and for the so-called "Joe Whatever" so trumpeted here as the "average user", it simply isn't clear that there would be no confusion. Whenever I think people are not that stupid, they always prove me wrong.

    • >

      Well, obviously that's your opinion. But the judge had already warned MS about their "trademark," and it's quite likely that Robertson would have brought up the fact that MS tried three previous times to trademark "Windows" and was denied each time. Then, inexplicably, MS is granted a trademark on a generic word. I doubt MS wants the court looking into that too closely.

  • Bloomberg story (Score:3, Informative)

    by Deven ( 13090 ) <deven@ties.org> on Monday July 19, 2004 @03:20PM (#9740293) Homepage
    Bloomberg has a pretty detailed article [bloomberg.com] about this, for those looking for more detail than the commonly-used Reuter's article contains...

  • New Company to fight Windows trademark (Score:4, Interesting)

    by lcsjk ( 143581 ) on Monday July 19, 2004 @03:29PM (#9740326)
    I am starting a new company to challenge the Windows Trademark. The company name will be "Vindows". I fully expect that there will be a legal challenge by that big nasty company with all the money. I expect a need to raise about two million to be financially viable before introducing the new company and its products. I promise that I will not store my software in a warehouse somewhere, but will provide direct links to the manufacturer's websites where you will be allowed to obtain software at no cost to you once you become a partner in my company.
    I am currently soliciting investment funds from entrepeneurs in the amounts of $50.00 or more each toward this goal. Private share certificates will be issued for each investment of $50.00, and for the first $1000 (oops) I meant 1000 people who have limited funds and can only donate (oops again) invest $25 dollars, I will divide the investment shares accordingly.
    If the venture company really takes off, we will all become rather rich. However, the best we can hope for is for that big nasty company to come try to put us out of business by claiming they have rights to our name. The way I see it, with two million dollars to pay attorney fees, we will still have $18 million to share after we change our name and settle out of court. For those who have invested in the initial two million dollars, your return will be a whopping 400 percent, allowing you to recoup your investment plus 300 percent in less than 3 years.
    That leaves me as CEO and owner, having made the company what it is, with just enough to limp along and start over with --- well, I was thinking of something like "Rindows".
    Please forward your donations to me at my websites, vindows.com and three years from now, rindows.com. Please don't get the names mixed up since others may try to scam you out of money by registering similar websites like "dindows" of "findows" or even "zindows".
    Thanks ahead for your donation (oops still again). I meant investment.
    CEO and Owner, Vindows

  • This really boggles the mind (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 19, 2004 @03:31PM (#9740352)
    You guys are happy that people can extort money from a company by naming their products something similar?

    Whether you like it or not, whether its trademarkable or not, people associate 'Windows' with Microsoft Windows. Naming their product 'Lindows' was an attempt to be leach off of a brand name.

    This is so obvious to anyone who isn't blinded by dumb hatred of anything Microsoft. If there was any OSS software that was popular amongst the novice computer-user masses, and MS named a competing product almost the same thing, there would be OSS bedwetter outcry galore.

    This dishonest crap of changing one letter in a name, or naming it something very similar, or making the logo similar, has been going on for far too long; long before commerical computer programs. Its BS, no matter what medium its in. Don't applaud it.

    • This dishonest crap of changing one letter in a name, or naming it something very similar, or making the logo similar, has been going on for far too long; long before commerical computer programs.

      Dell and Hell? Hmmm....
    • This dishonest crap of changing one letter in a name, or naming it something very similar, or making the logo similar, has been going on for far too long; long before commerical computer programs.

      That's why we have the USPTO to sort things out.

      Whether you like it or not, whether its trademarkable or not, people associate 'Windows' with Microsoft Windows.

      It doesn't matter whether you or I like it. The only thing that matters is if it's trademarkable or not. If it's not, then Microsoft should have pick

    • Re:This really boggles the mind (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Kevin Burtch ( 13372 ) on Monday July 19, 2004 @04:09PM (#9740755)

      They didn't extort money from Microsoft!
      Microsoft OFFERED them money to kill off the lawsuit that Lindows launched to try and revoke their illegal "Windows" trademark.
      In this sense, Microsoft "legally" bribed them to not go to court... think about that for a minute.

      The term "windows" (to mean a paned graphical user interface) was in use for _many_years_ before Microsoft decided to claim it as their own.

      Microsoft threw their weight around to get this trademark.

      Do you think it's fair that giga-corporations can patent and trademark anything they feel like just because they have more money than a smaller company?

  • maybe they should come at it a different way (Score:5, Insightful)

    by hGMFliP ( 94132 ) on Monday July 19, 2004 @03:36PM (#9740387)
    Instead of playing off the *indows theme, maybe choose a name that plays off it, but is not directly related, like "Doors," or "Steps," or something.

    It seems knock-offish I know, but imagine the advertising possibilities:

    "Why look through a Window when you can walk through a Door"

    or

    "Make sure you take the right Steps to yada yada yada..."

    ...I dunno... sounds hokey.. but it sends subtle jabs to Windows without infringing directly on copyright..

  • Lindows v. Micro$oft (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward
    And what did Mike Rowe (remember MikeRoweSoft?) get? A handful of books and an XBox. He should have held out...

  • Michael Robertson and Larry Ellison (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Landaras ( 159892 ) <neilNO@SPAMwehneman.com> on Monday July 19, 2004 @03:40PM (#9740426) Homepage
    Am I the only one who is reminded of Larry Ellison whenever I read about Michael Robertson? (The former is the CEO of Oracle and the latter is the founder and CEO of Lindows / Linspire.)

    Both run tech companies. Both have personalities (based on reports and news stories) that could be categorized as "dickhead."

    And both appear to be redeemable for the sole reason that they seem to really enjoy pissing in Bill Gates' Cheerios.

    - Neil Wehneman

    P.S. Since this topic is on trademarks, it should be noted that Cheerios is a registered trademark of General Mills, and my reference to it is in the non-trademark use of the mark. (Reference [cll.com])
  • I've searched all over, but can't find the news articles from 2001 that covered Michael Robertson paying $10,000 to buy Lindows.com from some guy. Let's see... $2,000,000.00 / $10,000.00 = 200% ROI. That pour guy is definitely kicking himself in the seat today.

    Of course, as already commented, many more are wishing they could kick Mr. Robertson in the rear since the terms "Windows" is once again available for M$ to claim as a trademark. Sadly, I thought Mr. Robertson and Lindows... errr, I mean Linspire a

  • You've really gotta hand it to Michael Robertson (Score:3, Insightful)

    by cgreuter ( 82182 ) on Monday July 19, 2004 @04:10PM (#9740762)

    Not only has he changed his product's name to something non-lame but he also managed to get his biggest competitor to pay him to do it!

  • Next up... (Score:3, Funny)

    by presearch ( 214913 ) on Monday July 19, 2004 @04:39PM (#9741031)
    Linspire is coming out with a laptop product line named "Linspiron".

  • $20 mil for a name? (Score:3, Funny)

    by io333 ( 574963 ) on Monday July 19, 2004 @07:31PM (#9742933)
    Uh... I have a new operating system... it's a umm FreeBSD based distribution, and it's called uh... WindowsBSD. There. I copyright the name. WindowsBSD.

    SUE ME NOW YOU BASTARDS!!!!! (please?)

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