Capitalization does matter, legally, when a word is both a trademark
and a common phrase. I can serve java at my coffeehouse without violating
any copyrights. The word Java refers to the proper, trademarked name, and
java is the dictionary word.
Open source is simply a phrase, incidentally preexisting the company
that trademarked it. As long as Sun uses it in that capacity, they are on
decent legal ground.
--John Keiser
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Paul Fisher
> Sent: Tuesday, October 27, 1998 8:42 AM
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: Re: Sun's Jini Technology Public License (JTPL)
>
>
> Alexandre Oliva <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
>
> > I shouldn't have used capital letters. I really meant `open source',
> > in plain English, not `Open Source' as registered.
>
> Regardless of capitalization (which I don't think matters --
> "coca-cola" is still "Coca-Cola"), IMHO, Sun actually believes that
> the JTPL conforms to the Open Source Definition.
>
> They've changed around their web site a bit since I was last there --
> removed the link to www.gnu.org and www.opensource.org, etc, but their
> FAQ still states that Jini is available under "open source" terms.
>
> > Couldn't we say they're polluting the namespace of Open Source and
> > Free Software, just like M$ is doing with Java?
>
> Both Java and Open Source are registered trademarks. They have
> requirements which must be met before they can be used.
>
> --
> Paul Fisher * [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>
