Thank you for taking leadership on this topic Josh. It s very important. Your research is enlightening and saves a lot of other people a lot of time... so again, thank you for that. In short, my binding VOTE is below.
[+1] We should change the name, it’s the right thing to do. On Tue, Oct 2, 2018 at 6:17 PM Joshua Poore <poor...@me.com> wrote: > I am raising a VOTE to begin the process of changing the Apache SensSoft > Project name. > > A passing VOTE in favor of changing the Apache SensSoft Project name means > the following sequence of events will take place: > > 1. We will first enter a nomination period for new names; all community > members will be allowed to nominate names. > 2. We will VOTE on a short-list of ranked names following a DISCUSSion > 3. We will submit this short-list of ranked names to name search process > as outlined in [1] and [2] to determine their suitability (ensure they are > clear of trademarks/copyrights and brand confusion) > 3a. Results and artifacts generated through the name search will be > documented on JIRA, Confluence. > 4. We will VOTE amongst the appropriate names to select a new name. > 5. Once a new name has been selected the project will no longer be named > “SensSoft”, and we will begin the process of work with INFRA to reflect the > changes in our repos, etc., and modifying our documentation to reflect this > change (e.g., Wiki, Website). > > Justification for the name change can be found below the VOTE categories, > please read this before VOTING: > > The VOTE is open for *one week* to allow committers and community members > that represent institutions with a stake in Apache SensSoft a chance to > discuss this issue with institutions that rely on our technology. The VOTE > will close at 20:00, TUES OCT 9th. > > [+1] We should change the name, it’s the right thing to do. > [ 0 ] I think we should discuss internally and fully explore our options > with the Apache Incubator before we consider this. (note your reasons) > [-1] I think our name is our identity, we should not change it. (note > your reasons) > > > ——————— JUSTIFICATION———————— > The reasons why I am raising this as an issue to VOTE are follows: > > The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc. (Draper), has notified me in > personal correspondence that Apache SensSoft, infringes on their trademark > for "Software as a Sensor” [3] (which is referenced in various parts of our > documentation with appropriate markings). This correspondence was prompted > when I referenced Apache SensSoft in an email signature at a different > employer. The initial software gift (from Draper) that established the > Apache SensSoft project (incubating), was gifted under this name. However, > Draper’s disposition has changed as many of our original Draper committers > have taken other employment. The relevant, verbatim text from Draper legal > copied in my correspondence with Brent Appleby, Director of Draper’s > Algorithms & Software Directorate can be found in our Sept 18 polling > report [4]. > > Draper’s Trademark is for “Software as a Sensor”, however, “SensSoft” and > “SENSSOFT” are not protected marks (verified at [5] and [6], also note > “SENSOFT” [7], which is cited in Draper’s correspondence [4]). So, why > would we change the name? > > 1. In order to grow our community, our community members must be able to > bring visibility to Apache SensSoft and evangelize it. Accusations or > allusions of infringement are a strong disincentive to evangelizing our > work. > > 2. In order to keep our code relevant, cross-functional, and open, we must > be independent of any particular company or institution’s interests, else > it is a strong disincentive for other company’s to build their own products > from our work. As such, we cannot honor Draper’s wishes to reference them > as the Trademark holders of “Software as a Sensor” every time we reference > Apache SensSoft. > > 3. In order to maintain the viability of Apache SensSoft as an Apache > Software Foundation (Incubator) product, institutions must be able to use, > distribute, modify, and package our code into their own proprietary, > branded products under the Apache License terms. This is as true for Draper > as it is any other company. Draper committers have committed much of Apache > SensSoft’s code (Draper is a part of our community), and they should be > able to protect their proprietary interests and brands. Bringing in Apache > Legal might disincentivize Draper’s continued involvement, as well as the > involvement of other companies. > > 4. At the moment, I do not believe our project name to be so essential to > our brand that our project cannot survive a name change. > > 5. As we have VOTED to graduate the project and are moving in that > direction (see April 2018 VOTE on dev@), now is a good time to evaluate > our project name (the formal name search process is mandatory for > graduation). > > > ——————— REFERENCES———————— > [1] https://incubator.apache.org/guides/names.html#conducting_ > [2] https://www.apache.org/foundation/marks/naming.html > [3] http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=4805:t4o9gq.2.1 > [4] https://wiki.apache.org/incubator/September2018 > [5] > http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=toc&state=4805%3At4o9gq.1.1&p_search=searchss&p_L=50&BackReference=&p_plural=yes&p_s_PARA1=&p_tagrepl~%3A=PARA1%24LD&expr=PARA1+AND+PARA2&p_s_PARA2=SensSoft&p_tagrepl~%3A=PARA2%24COMB&p_op_ALL=AND&a_default=search&a_search=Submit+Query&a_search=Submit+Query > <http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=toc&state=4805:t4o9gq.1.1&p_search=searchss&p_L=50&BackReference=&p_plural=yes&p_s_PARA1=&p_tagrepl~:=PARA1$LD&expr=PARA1+AND+PARA2&p_s_PARA2=SensSoft&p_tagrepl~:=PARA2$COMB&p_op_ALL=AND&a_default=search&a_search=Submit+Query&a_search=Submit+Query> > [6] > http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=toc&state=4805%3At4o9gq.1.1&p_search=searchss&p_L=50&BackReference=&p_plural=yes&p_s_PARA1=&p_tagrepl~%3A=PARA1%24LD&expr=PARA1+AND+PARA2&p_s_PARA2=SENSSOFT&p_tagrepl~%3A=PARA2%24COMB&p_op_ALL=AND&a_default=search&a_search=Submit+Query&a_search=Submit+Query > <http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=toc&state=4805:t4o9gq.1.1&p_search=searchss&p_L=50&BackReference=&p_plural=yes&p_s_PARA1=&p_tagrepl~:=PARA1$LD&expr=PARA1+AND+PARA2&p_s_PARA2=SENSSOFT&p_tagrepl~:=PARA2$COMB&p_op_ALL=AND&a_default=search&a_search=Submit+Query&a_search=Submit+Query> > [7] http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=4805:t4o9gq.11.1 > > -- http://home.apache.org/~lewismc/ http://people.apache.org/keys/committer/lewismc
