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RE: So which is it?
It's not that simple. In cases of this kind, there are questions of degree-- how much is the given name going to confuse consumers. Many people use manufacturer's names in place of product names. I often hear, "My Dell is running Microsoft" or "...running Microsoft 2000" or something like that. So, in the minds of many consumers, company name is and product name are interchangable. "What kind of server is that?" Idiot admin: "IBM." "Uhh... yes, which IBM?", etc. To create a product name which closely resembles a company name, when that company makes similar products, does introduce confusion. Lindows, on the other hand, does not seem to be close enough the either "Microsoft" or "Windows" to create confusion, at least for people that I know. Besides, we're talking about copyrighted names, and the Lindows dispute points out that Microsoft cannot copyright "Windows" because it's a ubiquitous, widely-applied term in GUI use and creation. These are 2 different suits. Support of one, then, does not imply necessarily support of the other.
Posted by: Martin Marvinski   Posted on: 12/22/03 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
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one sided  dg mh | 12/22/03
Not So Fast...  cmh510@... | 12/22/03
Another frivolous lawsuit..  Mike Cox | 12/22/03
You mean like the Lindows lawsuit?  Suicida| | 12/22/03
Without a shred of proof?  IT_User | 12/22/03
Did you forget about Sony?  copygod74 | 12/23/03
They've got a point  el1jones | 12/22/03
Really  tic swayback | 12/22/03
As I said Below...  Delaware Boy | 12/22/03
nope!  DarbyOhara | 12/23/03
Actually...  schauffler | 12/23/03
MS Cannot have both ways  Kamakazii | 12/22/03
Wrong!  vdraken | 12/22/03
and...  ryusen | 12/22/03
Hmmmm  DarbyOhara | 12/23/03
Small Difference Here, though.  Delaware Boy | 12/22/03
Microsoft will win by losing  BruceWheelock@... | 12/22/03
Re: Microsoft will win by losing  El.Gato@... | 12/22/03
So which is it?  rapson | 12/22/03
RE: So which is it?  support@... | 12/22/03
RE: So which is it?  Martin Marvinski | 12/22/03
RE: So which is it?  thmnetwork | 12/22/03
Big BIG Differance  nite_w0lf | 12/22/03
Not really...  Patrick Jones | 12/23/03
It's Absurd  cmh510@... | 12/22/03
It's not absurd  copygod74 | 12/23/03
It's Absurd - - - Microsoft NEVER stole anyones IP ! ! ! . . . wink  Plain Logic | 12/22/03
It's Absurd - - - - But the Lindows Suit - Now, that's a REAL case...  Plain Logic | 12/22/03
Microsoft 'Quality'  myndlon@... | 12/22/03
It really does not matter what Microsoft does anymore  lenohere | 12/23/03
Another Fringe Benifit  nite_w0lf | 12/23/03
Don't you hate when companies buy other comp  FilledOut | 12/23/03
Just call it Lithica, if Lindows can, MS probably  FilledOut | 12/23/03
Now, these guys are Bungie right  FilledOut | 12/23/03
Guess I'll just have to email Bungie  FilledOut | 01/02/04

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