[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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