[Linux-bruxelles] SGI Versus "Open*" and All Things "GL"? - pursuit agains OpenIL, OpenCL, OpenAL, demoGL, GLscene ?

[Laurent Lardinois]

http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/03/29/1718204


Posted by Cliff on Monday April 02, @01:00PM
from the trademark-protection-gone-overboard dept.
One of the things I try to focus on with Ask Slashdot questions are issues
involving trademarks and the big guy trying to rob the little guy out of a
name, or a domain that they may have had for years. Although this was
necessary to stop the domain squatters out to make a quick buck, it seems to
have turned into a corporate right to harass everyone. Long before the
internet was a household name, people registered domains or created project
names that they didn't think would cause problems and now, years later, they
are finding out how wrong they were, and how the laws can rob their
project's identity. What follows is a question regarding SGI their quest to
go after anyone with any name starting with "Open" or containing "GL". How
long is it, before corporations begin to carve up the English dictionary and
we won't be able to use a single word without following it with "(tm)"?

DooMWiz asks: "I am the author of the Open Image Library (OpenIL), an image
library under the LGPL license at openil.org. Several weeks ago, I was
shocked by the appearance of an e-mail from a Silicon Graphics, Inc
representative. Apparently, they are "concerned" that 'OpenIL' may infringe
on their 'OpenGL' trademark. I am not a trademark lawyer, nor do I have any
real knowledge of trademarks. Even if I had some kind of justifiable way of
proving that 'OpenIL' could not possibly be confused with 'OpenGL', I
probably would not pursue it, since a college student with very limited
resources against giant SGI would be messy for me. I'm really not *too*
upset about being asked to change the name, but during the course of this, I
sent several e-mails to the SGI rep, and his replies indicated some
disturbing news. He claims that he has already talked to OpenCL about
changing their name and that he plans to pursue the ever-popular OpenAL,
which isn't just a one man operation like OpenIL. OpenAL may have the
resources to fight something like this, since it has nothing to do with
SGI's business model but is backed by large companies. Lastly, SGI has a
trademark on 'GL', and the rep also claims to plan to pursue projects with
'GL' in their names. Projects like GLScene and DemoGL come to mind and may
be in trouble. Anyone with trademark experience have any advice on what
course of action to take? Dropping the 'OpenIL' name seems like the easiest
way out."

----------------------------------------------------------
et qques reactions d'auteurs concernes sur le newsgroup
dedicace a opengl : comp.graphics.api.opengl
----------------------------------------------------------

Auteur: Frans Bouma
Date:   03/04/2001 21:44

http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/03/29/1718204&mode=thread

The author of OpenIL isn't bringing any good news for projects like
DelphiGL and my own DemoGL. I would sincerely ask SGI to stop this
nonsence since this is the last thing OpenGL needs. The group of developers
using OpenGL is getting smaller by the day, don't speed up that process,
please.

FB
Author of DemoGL
www.demogl.com

--------------------------------------------------------
Auteur: Jens-Peer Kuska
Date:   03/04/2001 21:45


Hi,

it is easy to look at SGI's web site
for a detailed description "what" the
trademark is

http://www.sgi.com/company_info/trademarks/openglguide.html

and, surprise surprise the trade mark is "OpenGL"
and there is a guide line:

"OpenGL licensees may not incorporate the OpenGL trademark into
licensees' own
trademarks, service marks, or trade names. This includes both the
OpenGL mark as
a whole, and any portion thereof (such as "GL") that others would
associate with
SGI and/or the OpenGL trademark.

Licensees should separate the OpenGL trademark from the licensee's
trademark
with wording sufficient to distinguish it clearly. Use it only as an
indication of
compatibility, distinct from the licensee's product or company name."

So, *if* you have a license to use the (full) OpenGL trademark you
should
not use "GL" with your product :-)

Have you a "OpenGL" license ?? If not, be happy.

But if you still harm about the "GL" look at the first item
of the guide and the second subitem:

"OpenGL
Leave no space between "Open" and "GL"
The O, G, and L should always be capitalized
The p, e, and n should always be in lower case
Do not display the mark in any unusual typeface or in any other
manner that might blur its distinctiveness"

You don't like the name DemoGl ? really not ?? In small caps ??

Regards
Jens


------------------------------------------------------------

Auteur: Frans Bouma
Date:   03/04/2001 21:46


If SGI starts to bug me, I'll kick opengl out of DemoGL and
will port it to d3d and will never ever look at opengl again.
I find it wrong to bully developers who spend a lot of free
time in tools that make development for SGI's products more easy
(this includes openil). If SGI wants to continue with this, fine,
but they should also consider the consequences: some developers
who made tools for the opengl community will perhaps leave that
community.

and no, I don't like the decapitalized 'l' :).

thanks for your copy/pasting that info :)

O.

------------------------------------------------------------



Laurent Lardinois
IT Consultant - DS Improve
http://www.dsimprove.com