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Microsoft vs. Lindows

A

ant80

Senior member
Anybody know what happened to the Microsoft vs. Lindows trial? Last thing I heard, it was scheduled on Feb 27, but i have not really read anything from any news site at all.
 
To my knowledge, the trial is still a go.

IMO MS doesn't have a legal leg to stand on. MS can NOT register word "Windows" as their trademark, since it's a common word. Same goes for app-names like "Office" or "Word". Those are common, unregisterable names. What MS has done is to register those names when used together with word "Microsoft". That means that "Windows" is not registered, "Microsoft Windows" is.

Now, does "Lindows" sound like "Microsoft Windows"? No it doesn't. "Lindows" does sound like "windows" though... You know, those things in your walls you can look through?
 
Lindows


Real hard to figure out
rolleye.gif
😉
 
i think Lindows company choose the name lindows for a purpose
Lindows will confuse some dummy when it get to the market
think about it. some dummy will be purchase computer with lindows preinstall and thinking it's computer with windows preinstall, and think it's advertising ads misprint.
when they use the name Lindows, it is because windows are popular name, they are taking advantage of MS marketing dollar.
why else would they choose the name Lindows (is that even a word with meaning?)
now if they would say ****(full in **** with a company name) Lindows. for example Corel lindows. it is more acceptable.
it aint matter how much you hate MS
i'm sure anand would hate if someone open a forum call "Inandtech". just for the purpose to confuse some of the newbie
 


<< i think Lindows company choose the name lindows for a purpose
Lindows will confuse some dummy when it get to the market
think about it. some dummy will be purchase computer with lindows preinstall and thinking it's computer with windows preinstall, and think it's advertising ads misprint.
when they use the name Lindows, it is because windows are popular name, they are taking advantage of MS marketing dollar.
why else would they choose the name Lindows (is that even a word with meaning?)
now if they would say ****(full in **** with a company name) Lindows. for example Corel lindows. it is more acceptable.
it aint matter how much you hate MS
i'm sure anand would hate if someone open a forum call "Inandtech". just for the purpose to confuse some of the newbie >>



I don't think anyone could confuse "Windows" with "Lindows". Also, logos and colors are different. I think the purpose of naming product "Lindows" is to tell potential customer that it's a Linux-distro meant for Windows-users. Only total un-intelligent newbies might confuse the two. And why would "un-intelligent newbies" buy a new OS in the first place? They don't do anything like that, they never install new OS'es.

EDIT: Oh, the name of the OS is LindowsOS.
 
Article

That's an interesting article regarding this case. What I found interesting and bizarre is this:



<< While none of this legal wrangling would seem to effect the public sector, it does, in actuality. As part of the legal process, Microsoft demanded that Lindows.com turn over its entire database of names, e-mail addresses and physical addresses for parties interested in the pending OS >>



Now, why on earth they want to do that??? I honestly have no idea!
 


<< Now, why on earth they want to do that??? I honestly have no idea! >>



Because that's a legal strategy all lawyers would consider using, it has nothing to do with
what companies are involved, its just a way of putting legal pressure on.

Didn't the RIAA try the same approach in it lawsuit against Napster?

 


<< Didn't the RIAA try the same approach in it lawsuit against Napster? >>



But wasn't that because the Napster-users were potential criminals (trading copyrighted material)? To my knowledge, it's not illegal to be interested in a new OS.
 


<< i'm sure anand would hate if someone open a forum call "Inandtech". just for the purpose to confuse some of the newbie >>

Actually, Anandtech is a computer hardware site first and foremost. The forums are just an additional perk.

And some porn site has registered a similarly spelled domain (andtech or annadtech or something similar), the courts don't seem to be stepping in to stop that behavior (although some of them are, but usually in cases where it's a child oriented domain (ir: www.nickjr is for NickJr, but if a porn company registers www.nikjr.com) hijacked by a porn company. This is a very similar case I'd guess.
 


<< i think Lindows company choose the name lindows for a purpose >>



Of course they did. Unless the judge is one of those Microsoft is the devil morons, the Lindows people are toast.

Russ, NCNE
 


<< Of course they did. Unless the judge is one of those Microsoft is the devil morons, the Lindows people are toast. >>



As noted you can't trademark a common word (ie windows). Unless M$ want's to try apples look & feel lawsuit against Lindows that apple tried on M$ (and lost after 12 years in court) I really don't see how you can think they are "toast".

Lindows is toast for trying to charge $99 for a freaking copy of linux. They have 0 chance of survival at that price.
 


<< And why would "un-intelligent newbies" buy a new OS in the first place? >>

I don't know but they call me at work all the time.
 


<<

<< i think Lindows company choose the name lindows for a purpose >>



Of course they did. Unless the judge is one of those Microsoft is the devil morons, the Lindows people are toast.

Russ, NCNE >>



Not necessarily. There are SEVERAL products out there whose name has the word "Windows" in it somehow. There are several software-products with word "Windows" or it's derivate. yet, Microsoft has not sued those companies. Now we have a Linux-distro whose name is "Lindows", and MS sues. Why MS sues this company and not those dozens others who use the word "Windows"? And again, "Windows" is a generic word, MS cannot claim it as their property!

The reason is simple: Whe whole idea behind LindowsOS is that it integrates WINE (The Windows-emulator) in it. The idea is that the user can still run his Windows-apps even when they are using Linux. That would eliminate one of the biggest obstacles of Linux becoming mainstream: the lack of those familiar Windows-apps. If succesful, Lindows could damage Microsoft, and that's why they sued.
 
Microsoft has not sued X-Windows. That is as close as you can get to Windows.

Having let the trademark lapse in this manner, they can have no claim on Lindows.
 


<< Microsoft has not sued X-Windows. That is as close as you can get to Windows.

Having let the trademark lapse in this manner, they can have no claim on Lindows. >>



They can't, X-Windows is older 🙂
 


<<

<< Microsoft has not sued X-Windows. That is as close as you can get to Windows.

Having let the trademark lapse in this manner, they can have no claim on Lindows. >>



They can't, X-Windows is older 🙂 >>



So it is in fact Microsoft that is in violation of trademark.
 
They're suing because Lindows is an *Operating System* as is *Windows*. If an application has the name Windows in it, then it's not a problem. Only when the software is an Operating System is it a problem. So stop comparing other cases unless you want to talk about Operating Systems vs. Operating Systems.
 


<< They're suing because Lindows is an *Operating System* as is *Windows*. If an application has the name Windows in it, then it's not a problem. Only when the software is an Operating System is it a problem. So stop comparing other cases unless you want to talk about Operating Systems vs. Operating Systems. >>



Like I have said numerous times, "Windows" is a generic word, MS has NO claim on it. The name of the Microsoft's OS is "Microsoft Windows XP" (that is registered trademark of Microsoft), whereas this OS is called "LindowsOS". Are those names similar? No they are not. There is SOME similarity in the names, with the purpose of telling customers that it's meant for people who have used MS Windows.
 


<< There is SOME similarity in the names, with the purpose of telling customers that it's meant for people who have used MS Windows. >>



Exactly, *that* is why they called it Lindows. Now you can see why Microsoft is suing - they don't want people confusing Lindows with Windows. Simple as that.
 
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