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Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!simtel!news.sprintlink.net!in2.uu.net!van-bc!news.wimsey.com!cynic.portal.ca!curt From: curt@cynic.portal.ca (Curt Sampson) Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.misc Subject: Re: What is "BSD"? Date: 23 Aug 1995 00:29:38 GMT Organization: Internet Portal Services, Ltd. Lines: 30 Message-ID: <41dspi$qf7@wolfe.wimsey.com> References: <CGD.95Aug20032937@BALVENIE.PDL.CS.CMU.EDU> <4199pv$skk@cnn.nas.nasa.gov> <41adgc$b0m@bsdi.bsdi.com> <41aqt5$hkt@orion.cc.andrews.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: cynic.portal.ca In article <41aqt5$hkt@orion.cc.andrews.edu>, Andrew Gillham <gillham@andrews.edu> wrote: >So, how does BSDi stand on the following: > >"source code freely available under the BSD Copyright." > >"4.4BSD-lite system" > [etc.] It looks to me as if BSDi wouldn't have a leg to stand on if this came to any court. I have a CD-ROM right here that has the 4.4BSD-Lite sources, with no indication that BSD is a trademark. I've got a stack of books with 4.4BSD on the cover with no indication that this is a trademark. I've got a networking book with "BSD Socket Version" emblazoned on the cover, with no indication that this is a trademark. I suspect in a court battle BSDi could be shown to have not adequately defended the trademark status of "BSD". On the other hand, the freely-available BSD system `owners' (such as they are) don't have the cash to get into a trademark suit, and it seems that BSDi is happy enough to let them continue to use the `trademark' anyway. I wouldn't make a big fuss about it until a real problem actually does come up. cjs -- Curt Sampson curt@portal.ca Info at http://www.portal.ca/ Internet Portal Services, Inc. Vancouver, BC (604) 257-9400 De gustibus, aut bene aut nihil.