[EuroPython] Fwd: [PSF-Members] We need your help in Europe - important
Paul Boddie
paul at boddie.org.uk
Fri Feb 15 00:04:21 CET 2013
Hello everyone!
Apologies if everyone sees this announcement several times over the next few
days, but it is an important matter. My active involvement in EuroPython only
dates back to 2006, but if those who were there at the very beginning could
offer some assistance here, especially anyone involved in founding the
EuroPython conference and establishing the EuroPython Society, their input
would carry tremendous weight.
Paul
---------- Forwarded Message ----------
Subject: [PSF-Members] We need your help in Europe - important
Date: Thursday 14 February 2013
From: VanL <van.lindberg at gmail.com>
To: PSF Members List <psf-members at python.org>
Hello everyone,
Some time ago, we asked for information about Python usage in Europe.
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:
1) just a brief description of how Python is used at your company,
2) how your company looks for and recognizes "Python" as only
coming from the PSF, and
3) 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
Please let me know - and if there are any questions that I can answer,
let me know. If you know someone who might have this information, please
feel free to forward this.
Thanks,
Van
_______________________
Van Lindberg
Python Software Foundation
van at python.org
[1] Class 9 - Computer software; Servers for web hosting; VPN [virtual
private network] hardware; Internet servers; Internet servers.
[2] Class 42 - Design and development of computer hardware and software;
Website hosting services; Hosting computer sites [websites]; Hosting the
websites of others; Hosting of websites; Hosting the web sites of others
on a computer server for a global computer network; Hosting websites on
the Internet; Hosting the web sites of others; Web hosting services;
Hosting of digital content, namely, on-line journals and blogs;
Application service provider [ASP], namely, hosting computer software
applications of others; Website hosting services; Hosting of digital
content on the internet; Hosting of web sites; Hosting web sites;
Hosting web sites for others; Hosting websites of others; Hosting of
internet sites; Hosting the computer sites (web sites) of others; Web
site hosting services; Hosting computer sites [web sites]; Hosting web
sites of others; Rental of web servers; Servers (rental of web-);
Servers (Rental of Web -).
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