Re: Hard Hat Linux (fwd)

[jmichaud@chaos.boston.sgi.com (Joseph Michaud)]

Hmm.  I don't find any such trademarks on a search at the
US Patent Office (http://www.uspto.gov/tmdb/index.html).

Ask him what the trademark registration number is, and
where it is registered...

Joe

On Dec 13,  2:53am, Ariel Faigon wrote:
> 
> I'm not sure if I should feel amused or saddened by this
> email.  I'm not a lawyer, just curious of what would you
> be doing in reponse.
> 
> Note that:
> 	The facts this email presents are inaccurate:
> 
> 	1) We don't have any "product" on www.linux.sgi.com
> 	   just a free source distribution.
> 	2) His claim is ignoring the fact that "Linux" is
> 	   a trademark of Linus Torvalds which may invalidate
> 	   any claim to its derivatives by another party.
> 	3) We use "Hard Hat 5.1" as a humorous way to say
> 	   it is somewhat unstable release of Red Hat 5.1
> 	   in a casual way in one title.
> 	4) We never use the term "Hard Hat Linux".
> 
> I guess the question is whether our very innocent and casual
> use of the phrase "Hard Hat" in one web page and without any
> product connotation constitutes trademark infringement.
> 
> 
> Forwarded message:
> :From maurice@harddata.com  Sat Dec 12 12:23:42 1998
> :Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.19981212132336.00a0ecb0@209.207.211.2>
> :X-Sender: mhilariu@209.207.211.2
> :X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Light Version 3.0.5 (32)
> :Date: Sat, 12 Dec 1998 13:23:36 -0700
> :To: adevries@engsoc.carleton.ca
> :From: Maurice Hilarius <maurice@harddata.com>
> :Subject: Hard Hat Linux
> :Cc: ariel@sgi.com
> :Mime-Version: 1.0
> :Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
> :
> :Good day Gentlemen.
> :
> :One of our customers pointed us to your webpage:
> :http://www.linux.sgi.com/manhattan/
> :
> :We wish to inform you that the names "Hard Hat" and "Hard Hat Linux" are
> :copyrighted names and registered trademarks of Hard Data Ltd., Of Edmonton,
> :Alberta, Canada.
> :
> :We ask that you please use another name for your project, as we can not
> :permit this use of the brand name and trademark "Hard Hat Linux".
> :We suspect that this usage was probably not designed to harm our tradmark,
> :but we still can not permit it to be used, especially without our express
> :permission.
> :
> :If there are any questions please contact Maurice Hilarius of Hard Data
> :Ltd. at the address and/or telphone numbers listed in the signature (below).
> :
> :Seasons Greetings.
> :
> :Best regards,
> :
> :  Maurice W. Hilarius                   Telephone: 01-403-414-9319
> :  Hard Data Ltd.                      **FAX:       01-403-456-1510
> :  11060 - 166 Avenue                    email:maurice@harddata.com
> :  Edmonton, AB, Canada  - T5X 1Y3       http://www.harddata.com
> :  
> :
> 
> 
> -- 
> Peace, Ariel
> 
>-- End of excerpt from Ariel Faigon



-- 

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Joseph Michaud                Silicon Graphics - Applications Consulting
jmichaud@boston.sgi.com       x483-2255                   (978) 562-4800