[python-nl] Fwd: [PSF-Members] We need your help in Europe - important

Fri Feb 15 11:30:45 CET 2013

Thank you Ronald for bringing this to our attention.
I will forward this as well to the Blender community.

Kind regards,
Monique
<mailto:m.dewanchand at atmind.nl>

On 2/15/13 8:17 AM, Ronald Oussoren wrote:
> Hi,
>
> The PSF needs help in oppossing a trademark application for the term 
> "Python" in the EU that is not related to our favorite programming 
> language.  See the e-mail from Van Lindberg for more information.
>
> Regards,
>
>   Ronald
>
> P.S. The letter is also on the PSF blog at 
> <http://pyfound.blogspot.nl/2013/02/python-trademark-at-risk-in-europe-we.html>
>
> Begin forwarded message:
>
>> *From: *VanL <van.lindberg at gmail.com <mailto:van.lindberg at gmail.com>>
>> *Subject: **[PSF-Members] We need your help in Europe - important*
>> *Date: *14 February, 2013 19:42:46 GMT+01:00
>> *To: *PSF Members List <psf-members at python.org 
>> <mailto: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 <http://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 
>> <http://python.co.uk> domain has, for most of its life, just 
>> forwarded its traffic on to the parent companies, veber.co.uk 
>> <http://veber.co.uk> and pobox.co.uk <http://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 <http://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 -).
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> PSF-Members mailing list
>> PSF-Members at python.org <mailto:PSF-Members at python.org>
>> http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/psf-members
>> PSF home page (http://www.python.org/psf/)
>> PSF membership FAQ (http://www.python.org/psf/membership/)
>> PSF members' wiki (http://wiki.python.org/psf/)
>
>
>
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