[portland] django coders?

[kirby urner]

I was asking just this very question, about the trademark on clothing,
whether fees were charged, given Pycon has long served as a Px for
such warez, me wearing one of my Python fleeces at this very moment...
(a fave costume, super classy).  Plus it's not just the logo, there's
"batteries included" [tm] and "fits your brain" [tm] to think about.
All that xkcd stuff, zoo creatures...

Having been in Chang Mai and places, I know what a headache it is for
the real Nike, say, to police its own brand, as the problem isn't
"cheap knock-offs" so much is the real deal, the exact same
merchandise, getting into the hands of American tourists (who can
blame them?) who then go home and boast about how everything's so
cheap in Thailand.

Same thing with proprietary software (e.g. Microsoft's) until FOSS
came along, at which point your only cost was the media (DVDs) and no
ill will from PSF if you go crazy deepcopying, as that's what it's
for, same deal with Ubuntu (which is OK with the logo traveling with
the distro -- getting off on clothing, what does that mean? **).

Anyway, I didn't get an answer, but the tone being set is one of
encouraging responsible use in ways that serve our community, with VL
poised to come after you, with a posse if necessary, if you do
anything "wrong" after the fact, i.e. there's always post hoc
retribution and incarceration, if the Klingons gain control (not
saying they will).  But "big offenses" would all have to do with
source code I should think, as people have spoof rights with logos,
i.e. it's OK to make fun of doctors, dress up in a fake stethoscope
and pretend to understand hearts, but it's not OK to walk into an
operating room an "feign an operation".  Likewise, marketing a "fake
snake" as the "real deal" while embedding "phone home" capabilities,
would probably get you some jail time (whatever that means in the
Python community's namespace -- certainly not good for one's
reputation, plus other jurisdictions may apply).

So I'm thinking you won't get hounded for those slip covers or
whatever they are.  I ran by the example of flying the Python flag
(logo in flag wavy format) from the top of Angel of the Winds and
didn't get any hecklers, so what's the big diff?

Caveat:  I'm just a freshman senator, *not* on the trademark
committee, and *not* on the board, so these are just my impressions
from haunting the list, JR in Dallas here might correct me as he has
seniority.

Kirby
PSF '09

** http://worldgame.blogspot.com/2008/07/more-geek-anthro.html (Ubuntu
skin branding, click for larger view), relates to legal question if
PSF logo tattoo could retail in Portland, OR with no profits due i.e.
Pythonistas have a right to so decorate themselves or not? (question
for BDFL maybe, not saying I'm in control of this business or its
legal rep in any way).


On Mon, Jun 15, 2009 at 9:54 AM, Michael
Schurter<michael at susens-schurter.com> wrote:
> OT sorry
>
> On Mon, Jun 15, 2009 at 9:48 AM, kirby urner<kirby.urner at gmail.com> wrote:
>> I agree with Dylan that marketing hasn't been Python's chief forte,
>> especially pre the new logo, which PSF has wisely taken steps to
>> protect, to the tune of $50K by one estimate, and that didn't include
>> Israel.
>
> Speaking of protecting the logo, my wife contacted the PSF a couple
> weeks ago about using the logo on a small run of laptop sleeves she's
> crafting.  Any guesses when she can expect a response and what it will
> be?
>
> Canonical turned her down pretty quickly on the Ubuntu logo, but thats
> a commercial organization.  We're hoping the PSF will be a little more
> lenient for a small time crafter.
>
> Sorry for the OT post.  :-)
> _______________________________________________
> Portland mailing list
> Portland at python.org
> http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/portland
>